


"The Hunted"

by valleya



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 104,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valleya/pseuds/valleya
Summary: Summary: Sheppard's team is attacked off world. Part of the team is stranded on the other side of the gate. Both the stranded team and Atlantis have problems that have to be resolved before a rescue can be started.  Written back in 2006.Authors: valleya and teprac sSpoilers: Anything from Seasons 1-3 are up to grabs.Author's notes: Teprac S was a brainstorm conspirator who became such a vital part of the story that she had to be listed as a coauthor! She's an excellent writer and a very good friend.Feedback is much appreciated
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

"Just why did we have to be here so freaking early?" Dr. Rodney McKay asked. His question ended in a yawn, and then he rubbed his eyes with his palms.

"For someone with a near photographic memory, you have some serious recall issues," Lt. Colonel John Sheppard said, sarcasm echoing off his words as they walked uphill in the early morning sunlight. There was still a bit of a chill in the air, even with the sunshine, at least enough to know this world was at the end of its harvest season and winter wasn't far off. 

Teyla Emmagan smiled playfully and said, "I believe some of the doctor's memory lapses are selective in nature."

Ronon Dex grunted. "Might be because he slept during our briefing yesterday."

"I did not. I merely rested my eyes at times. I've been very busy with important research, something so complicated none of you could even begin to understand."

"Have you ever noticed how he's always cranky this early in the morning?" John asked the others, ignoring Rodney's comments.

Teyla nodded. "It seems to be associated with his consumption of coffee. I do not think he had enough before we left."

"If you would listen – it has nothing to do with – I mean, it's not because – ah, hell, never mind, I withdraw the question," McKay said with a disgusted sigh.

John glanced at Sgt. Scott McMurphy, a tall man with an tri-athlete's muscled build, sandy colored hair and crisp blue eyes, and his team of three Marines. John pointedly slowed down to walk beside them, instead of McKay. "We're out here _so freaking early_ , because this is when the village elders asked us to show up. It's their harvest festival day of gratitude. All we have to do is spend the day with them, eat lots of good food, and enjoy the harvest related festivities. At the end of the day, we pick up the fruits and vegetables we've paid for, and head back to the gate. Now, how easy is that?" 

He raised his chin to look at Rodney again. "Is that enough of an answer for you?"

McKay nodded his head with a general air of boredom. "Yes, yes, so we are going for food I just as easily could have enjoyed in our very own mess hall without getting blisters on my feet from a five mile hike to said village. _Someone_ painted a much better picture of the mission than is actually the case."

John grinned again. "You say that now, but wait until you meet the local ladies. Remember, you weren't with us on our initial visit here."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Ah, the ladies. Yes, you did say something about them, but you still neglected to mention the marathon journey to the village."

John rubbed his tongue along on the inside of his cheek. "Look, it's not anything close to five miles – probably more like three, if that – so suck it up. Besides, you were too involved in the discussion about food and women to ask about the distance from the gate. That'll teach you to pay more attention to our briefings in the future."

McMurphy leaned closer to John as they walked along and whispered, "Sir, is he always like this?"

John smiled, gesturing toward the scientist. "McKay? Oh, this is a good day for him. You should see him when he's really in a mood."

The sergeant's eyes widened, and then he looked at John suspiciously, as if he was lying. 

"Har-har-har," McKay muttered without turning in John's direction.

John chuckled until Ronon stopped and sniffed at the air, his demeanor suddenly serious and defensive, and the group's lighthearted repartee vanished in the heartbeat between those moments. John tightened his hold on his P-90 and stepped closer to Ronon. "What is it?"

Ronon sniffed again and made a face. "Something's not right. Can't you smell it?"

John caught a whiff of something foul, but he couldn't identify the scent. He met Ronon's gaze for a moment as Ronon took in the area around them warily. They were stopped just before the crest of a hill that eventually led its way down into the village and its network of fields. John stepped closer. After a moment, he gestured to Ronon with his head. "Check it out."

Turning back to the others, he said, "McMurphy, have your men stay here, but spread out a bit. If there's trouble, I don't want to all of us to be in one place."

"Yes, sir," McMurphy said with a nod. "You heard the man, spread out and keep your eyes open." 

John followed Ronon up the hill with Teyla and McKay falling in step behind him. McKay made a few disgruntled sounds, and then asked, "Wait, I don't get it. What exactly is the problem here?"

John didn't look back. "Something smells wrong."

Rodney sighed. "The same thing happens at Atlantis after burrito night and nobody goes on alert – "

"McKay," John said in a warning growl. 

There was something more urgent in Ronon's movements when he headed in a slightly different direction along the ridge, like he was a purebred bloodhound hot on a fox's trail. He climbed the incline with long strides that left his companions trailing behind him. Teyla and John scrambled to keep up, but came to a halt when Ronon stopped abruptly.

McKay began to whine, "Come on, you guys, I don't need a climbing contest after a marathon hike. Remember, I'm the extremely intelligent team member who uses his brain more than his muscles, unlike other members of the team."

"Whoa," John said as he saw what Ronon was looking at. "That can't be good."

Teyla whispered, "By the Ancestors."

Ronon cursed under his breath and turned away as a light breeze came up from the valley. Rodney finally joined them, saying, "What's that disgusting stench? Ah, geez, will you look at that."

The three of them stood, staring at machinery and manpower clearing the hillside in such a way that left the terrain completely barren, raped for its minerals with no hope of ever restoring the place back to its original beauty or to even be salvageable for living things to grow back again.

"Strip miners?" John asked as McKay stopped at his side.

"My God," Rodney muttered.

"But when could this have happened?" Teyla asked in amazement. "And why?"

"Sinomean Raiders," Ronon said, walking back toward them. "Judging by the extent of mining on that hillside, I'd say they must have come soon after we left last week."

Teyla frowned. "I have never seen the aftermath of their operations with my own eyes."

"Pray you never do again," Ronon said. 

"We need to get down there and check out things for ourselves," John said, turning back to the path leading to the village, waving to McMurphy to join them.

No one said much as they covered the distance to the village. They came to a stop just outside town. John motioned to McMurphy to divide the group in half, and the two teams circled the village from different sides. After a few minutes of searching, it was obvious there wasn't anyone in the village and it didn't look like they'd been there for days. 

John met up with the rest of their team just outside a grove of fruit trees, now stripped bare of their fall bounty. Ronon glanced around warily. His voice was low and grim as he said, "We should move to deeper cover. We're too exposed here."

John licked his lips and nodded. "I know what you mean, the hair on the back of my neck is standing on end. Let's go." 

They started to turn back when they discovered they'd been surrounded by short men in black uniforms carrying very big guns. Any thoughts of putting up a fight disappeared with a burst of gunfire at their feet from one of the gunmen. 

McKay took one look at them, and put up his hands as he glared at John, muttering, "Next time, Sheppard, just leave me at home."

**oOoOoOoOo**

A petite woman in an all black dress uniform with gold epaulettes jutting off her shoulders entered the room. Like the other Sinomeans John and his people had already encountered, she was short, maybe four and a half feet tall, but heavily muscled, reminding him vaguely of a pit bull.

She wandered about as she studied each one of them in turn, but her gaze lingered longest on McKay. As she moved, she toyed with a metallic, cylindrical object she had pulled from her pocket. It seemed to fascinate her as she touched a point, making the shape change configurations before touching another point that caused a different arrangement. 

"Who are you?" she asked finally, without emotion.

The eight of them, John's and McMurphy's teams, sat in chairs forming a rough circle with their hands bound in front of them. John's gaze swept over the men under his command. He knew he could trust McMurphy and Erdman to keep their cool, along with his own team, but the other members of McMurphy' team, Costa and Jacobson, were new to Atlantis. The last thing John needed was for someone to go off half cocked. There was still a chance he could talk his way through this mess. 

Then again, he thought as he stared at the five armed guards flanking his people, things might require a little more than just talking, but he'd try the diplomatic approach first. He studied his captors more closely. These people were small, but their weapons were intimidating and their manner ruthless. 

"I asked who are you?" the woman repeated, and John got the feeling she didn't often repeat herself.

He looked up at her, smiled, and shrugged. "We're traders, just simple traders."

She sneered. "You are very well armed for simple traders."

John winced slightly and said, "Gauging by our current situation, I'd say we weren't armed well enough."

She met his gaze. "Obviously. I am Captain S'moa Conteale of the Sinomean Raiders." 

There was something sinister in her slight lisp that gave John pause. He took his time before answering her, making sure to pour on his charm. "Nice to meet you. I have to say I wish we'd met under better circumstances, though. Look, we can talk this out like rational adults. Why don't you just untie us?"

"There is nothing to talk out. I ask the questions, you answer them."

John's gaze narrowed. "And if we don't?" 

"You don't want to explore that avenue," she said, the unspoken threat hanging in the air.

John forced himself to take on a lighter tone again. "Why not just let us leave? We can promise never to come back."

Conteale straightened, her eyes dark. "Then I'd say you were lying through your teeth."

"Come on, lying is such a harsh word," John responded, speaking softly, playfully even, but there was no humor in his tone.

The captain faced him again. "What is your home world?"

John sighed. Why the hell did the people always want to know where they came from? He'd learned long ago the best way to protect Atlantis and Earth was to keep information like that to himself. He gave Conteale his best smirk instead. "Our people are a bit shy with strangers. I'm sure you'll understand if we aren't forthcoming with that sort of information." 

S'moa gave him a hard backhanded blow to the mouth that came so suddenly, John didn't have time to roll with the strike. He grunted, and then spat blood from his split lip. His men strained at their bonds, but they settled down once he shook his head slightly. He turned his attention back to her and glared. She met his gaze with even more hostility and said, "I don't like people who try to be funny. You'll find that I have no sense of humor and I find the whole interrogation process very irritating."

"I'll keep that in mind," John said as he rubbed his tongue over the cut in his lip, anger still flashing in his eyes.

"See that you do. Now, are there others who will come looking for you? If so, how long until you will be missed?"

S'moa stepped closer when John didn't answer. "Well?"

"Sorry, Captain, but all I can think of are funny answers and I really don't want to piss you off any more than I already have. My mouth hurts."

John got another hard backhanded blow, this time to his temple, causing his head to snap to one side, making the edges of his vision darken, but at least he was more prepared for it this time. 

"If you won't speak to spare yourself abuse, perhaps you'll do it to save one of the others."

S'moa pointed to Teyla and one of her men stepped forward, grabbing Teyla by one arm, yanking her to her feet. With the other, he held a large, jagged knife to her throat. John lifted his chin and said hoarsely, "Wait. Don't hurt her."

John blinked a couple of times and saw Ronon start to stand, but then one of the guards hit him hard in the stomach with the butt of his rifle. Ronon fell back into his chair, looking winded but not broken. Conteale eyed Ronon warily before she gave John a heartless smile. "I assume you have some answers for me now?"

John turned his head, meeting her gaze. "Yeah, sure, just leave my friends alone."

Conteale put the back of her fingers to the reddened skin on John's temple where a bruise was quickly forming, and let them slide down to cup his chin. John felt his skin crawl with her cold touch, but the cold wasn't merely from her skin temperature; it seemed to come from a coldness creeping from her soul. 

"I think I will wait to hear your answer before I have my man release her," she said without expression.

John shied away from her, much like he would have done if a rattlesnake was licking at his cheek. "Okay, whatever, just keep that knife away from her throat."

With a nod from Conteale, the man holding Teyla smiled and pressed the knife more firmly against Teyla's neck, hard enough to draw a trickle of blood. 

John bolted upright, intending to stand, but Conteale pushed him back into his seat. As he sat heavily, he heard the others struggling, too. His hands pulled at his bonds, but he knew already the knots were too well done to break free. Still, it didn't stop him from trying.

He glared at the guard holding Teyla, and then at her at Conteale as she walked behind him. "Listen, Captain, you didn't have to do that. How do you expect to build trust that way – "

Conteale pulled her knife as he was talking, and let the sharp edge of it trace down John's cheek just as she had done with her fingers. Somehow, this wasn't as disturbing as her touch had been. _So much for negotiating._

She came around to face him, still toying with the knife. "First question... where are you from?"

John looked up at her and answered honestly, "A lot of places."

S'moa didn't hit him again. Instead, she nodded to her underling. John's heart leapt into his throat as the guard holding Teyla pulled back the blade, but instead of slicing her throat, he grabbed her hair and cut off several locks with a single slash.

"Why, you bastard – " McKay began, but his voice was soon drowned out by the other voices joining in to protest. 

Conteale waved a hand in the air and the armed guards quickly quieted the others, using the butts of their rifles for intimidation. Without looking away from John, Conteale took the locks of hair from her man, who then put his arm back around Teyla's neck. She dangled the hair in front of John's face. "Hmm, could you be a little more specific?"

John licked his lips as he stalled. If they weren't going to talk things out, then they would have to go with plan B. He just hoped McMurphy' team would be able to follow his lead when the time came. "Sure... sure, as much as you'd like."

"Now, we may be getting somewhere. Tell me, where are you from?"

He didn't blink an eye. "A planet called Tatooine. The woman with the knife to her throat is Princess Leia, the big guy is Chewbacca, the four in the middle are called Darth Vader, Obiwan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and I'm Han Solo."

"What about him?" she asked, pointing the knife in McKay's direction. "He must have a pretty name."

John looked up at her sharply and his voice broke with surprise as he asked, "You mean McKay?" He didn't mean to say Rodney's name out loud, but the words slipped out in his confusion.

"Mac-Kay. It suits you," she said with a flirting smile as she looked at Rodney.

Rodney gulped. Rodney was obviously not enthused about S'moa's interest in him and John was rapidly tiring of the situation. Hell, he was tired of the whole damned affair and it echoed in his voice as he said, "Look, I realize this must be a special moment for you, but can we get back to the conversation at hand – "

Conteale responded by slashing back with her knife, catching John's upper left arm with its sharp edge, and didn't stop until it cut across the width of his arm. The fabric of John's jacket gaped open with the cut and blood spilled forth, immediately darkening the surrounding fabric. John gasped with the abrupt pain and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to keep from crying out. 

"Impudent fodder! Do not presume to push my patience!" she hissed at John.

His head whipped up to face her, his breath fast and shallow. "I'm sorry, Captain, but I thought you had an interrogation to conduct – " 

She spun around, looking like she was going to make another strike with the knife when McKay jumped in, obviously trying to pull her attention away from John and back to him. "Listen, Captain, while it's very interesting to watch you work out your issues of domination and control, maybe even sexy in a kinky kind of way, you had better leave him alone!"

S'moa's hand stopped in midair and she turned to McKay, a smile playing on her lips. "And why would I do that?"

"Well, uh, because I said so – I mean – because I asked you to... " he said, his voice getting higher and squeaky as he gave her a hesitant smile.

She approached McKay, her tongue licking at the splattering of John's blood on her fingers. McKay visibly paled and shrank back. She kept coming until her face was mere inches from his, her behavior seductive. "You realize I should kill you for your insubordination, but it just makes you more interesting to me. You are a special one. I like special ones."

She paced around McKay, leaving John alone for the moment to recover from his arm wound. John knew he could handle pain, blood loss, even torture, but he didn't know if he could stomach watching her coming on to McKay without losing his breakfast. 

Conteale reached down and picked up both of Rodney's bound hands as she examined his fingers. She released them, letting her hands roam up his chest until she got to his head. Her fingernails ran through his hair and dropped to the back of his neck as she looked him directly in the eye. "You have no calluses on your hands and you're obviously intelligent. You must be the brains of your operation, and you wisely chose to let your underlings like this one speak for you."

Rodney's gaze darted to John and back to her. He straightened and puffed out his chest. "Yes, well, you're right. Of course, these are my underlings and I don't appreciate you damaging them just to suit your whims."

She smiled and brought her face closer to his, her fingers cupping his cheek. "I've never met anyone quite like you. You intrigued me from the very first moment I saw you. Tell me about your strengths... you are very intelligent, right?"

McKay's ever present ego shone brightly for a moment. "Well, yes, yes, I am."

"What kinds of things can you do, pretty one?"

"McKay," John warned, blinking at the sudden appearance of sweat in his eyes. He swallowed hard to push back the bile welling up his throat.

S'moa spun around, holding the knife in John's direction again. "Silence!"

She started to move toward John when McKay cleared his throat, trying to draw her back to him. "I'm a scientist. I fix things, design systems, do research." 

Conteale's appreciation for McKay's gifts seemed to swell with the revelation. "Your prettiness and intelligence could be very handy to me. I don't normally consider men of other races appealing... but you, you are special."

McKay was speechless, and her words made John open and close his mouth, as if he was trying to get rid of a bad taste. In the next breath, she turned to one of the guards and said, "Kill the rest, but let him live."

McKay looked aghast. "Wait! Why – why do you have to kill them?"

"What else would I do with them? Just let them go? Surely, you jest. I suppose they could work the mines – packing the crystals for loading onto my ship." She sighed, deep in thought. She looked at McKay and at the others, and then a wicked smile drew the corners of her lips upward. She stepped closer to him again, her hands running across his chest and shoulders. "If I did as you wished, what would I get out of it?"

"Get?" McKay asked, his voice painfully high as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "I think you have the wrong impression about me."

S'moa frowned in confusion, as if trying to understand why he wasn't jumping at her flirtatious offer, but then she eyed Teyla, as if she was the reason behind his diffidence. "This isn't your woman, is she?"

Rodney stammered. "My woman? No, no, of course not, but – "

"Then what do you care if she lives or dies?

Rodney blinked a few times, struggling to come up with a good answer. "Well, she's a member of my team and – "

Conteale turned and walked to Teyla's side, sneering with jealousy. "He wants to keep you safe from harm."

Teyla stared at her without any hint of fear. "I can defend myself." Teyla's gaze hardened as she asked, "What have you done with all of the villagers?"

The defiant question seemed to surprise Conteale. She frowned for a moment, assessing Teyla before her gaze went cold again. "They are working the mining operation outside, of course. Benji power crystals can be so unstable once exposed to open air. Better to have the villagers blown up in the packaging process than my own people."

"And the children? There were several children here when we visited last."

S'moa looked disgusted. "The children have been locked up to keep their parents in line, but I tire of them. All but a handful of them will be eliminated in a short time. Most Sinomean Raiders keep their hostages alive until they are ready to leave, but I have different ideas. It is why I have risen to where I am now. It will be easier for all concerned this way."

Teyla's entire body went rigid, her voice low and threatening. "You kill those children and you will not live to see another day."

This time, S'moa did laugh out loud, placing the tip of the bloodied blade in her hand against Teyla's ribs. "You speak bravely, but do not use such words with me again or they will be the last words you utter."

There was some noise out in the corridor. Some villagers, four adults and nearly twenty children looked terrified as they slowly passed by the doorway. One of the men recognized John and cried, "Help us!"

The man was struck in the back by a Sinomean and the group kept moving on. 

S'moa smiled, sheathing her blade. "Ah, it appears that their end is here sooner than I thought."

"Why you bitch!" John said as he bolted from his chair, only to get a rifle butt in his side. He collapsed back into his seat, the air knocked from him, but his rage still burned.

Teyla seemed to swallow back her fury, and avoided looking directly at S'moa, as if one look at Conteale would dissolve her restraint. Instead, she watched Ronon and then John. John gave her a slight shake of the head as he tried to steady his breathing. Teyla followed his lead, though reluctantly, doing nothing more. 

Rodney jumped in, distracting S'moa. "Come on, Captain, you don't need to kill anyone." He swallowed hard. "Maybe you and I could just go somewhere alone to – you know – talk."

"S'moa," she said softly. "Call me S'moa."

"Okay." After another hard swallow, he choked out softly, "S'moa." 

Her grin widened and she twirled her long strands of dark hair around a finger. "While I don't believe Princess Leia's wild boasts that she can defend herself against me and my men, your offer is intriguing."

John watched Rodney struggle to keep her talking, to keep her interest away from killing anyone while providing Ronon with more time. S'moa circled McKay's chair, drinking in his discomfort. Meanwhile, Teyla caught John's gaze again, her eyes widening in a silent appeal. John glanced in Ronon's direction, giving him a similar look. Then Ronon nodded slightly and John smiled. He looked to McMurphy and prayed that the sergeant would recognize the unspoken order through their visual contact. McMurphy nodded once and glanced to his men.

In the next moment, Teyla said, "I do not boast, Captain."

Teyla elbowed the guard still holding her in the gut. She pulled the guard's knife away from her throat and flipped him over her shoulder. Ronon's hands were suddenly free, the ropes binding them apparently cut while they were talking. He stood, stabbing the guard behind him in the chest with one swift move. He spun around, slicing the ropes holding John's outstretched hands. 

He turned to McMurphy, tossing him his knife. McMurphy cut the rope on Erdman's wrists as Teyla dropped down on one knee, where it landed squarely in her guard's solar plexus. As the guard struggled to breathe, she knocked him out with another blow to the head. McMurphy and Erdman took out the third guard with equal ease while Ronon pulled another knife and threw it across the room, hitting the fourth guard in the chest. Costa and Jacobson finished up, taking care of the last guard easily. 

S'moa went to pull her weapon, but John moved faster. He took an empty chair beside him with one hand and struck her across the back with it with as much force as he could manage. She crumpled to the floor and didn't move. "See what happens when you don't know how to take a joke."

He tossed aside the chair and put a hand to his arm, cursing under his breath. McKay was on his feet and Ronon cut the ropes binding his hands as he stammered, "I – I thought you'd never move!" He shuddered. 

"Did you hear what I was saying to her just to keep her occupied?" He shuddered again, more violently this time.

John took a deep breath and said, "You did good, McKay." 

He stopped as Teyla pulled a field dressing from her vest and quickly wrapped it around his arm. 

"Make sure they're secure," John said to the other members of McMurphy's team as Ronon and McMurphy were already busy sorting out the tac vests and weapons. 

Moments later, they were armed and ready to go. Ronon glanced out the door as John went to a roughly drawn map of the mine, hanging from the wall. He ripped it down and held it in his hands.

McKay joined him and Teyla. John frowned and said, "It doesn't say where the villagers are being held."

Teyla nodded. "No, but it does show an extensive mine system throughout this hillside. It must be an older mining complex, as opposed to the massive operation we saw outside."

Ronon nodded. "The one on the hillside is a typical Sinomean operation. They sneak in, harvest a horde of Benji crystals using the locals as slave labor, and then kill everyone to leave no witnesses, and disappear."

"Benji crystals?" McMurphy asked as he checked the ammo in his P90.

Teyla looked to him. "They are power crystals, similar to what fuels your naquadah generators. They are very rare and can provide vast amounts of power to operate various systems and are greatly valued in many parts of the galaxy."

"And just why haven't we heard of these things sooner?" McKay asked with obvious irritation.

Ronon and Teyla both shrugged. 

"Table the discussion for later, people." John squinted, looking at the map and then out the door. "Which way were those kids headed?" 

McKay shook a pointed finger at John. "No, we are not going to rescue anyone. You are injured. We need help to take these guys on and lots of it. There's no way we can handle these forces alone."

John shook his head. "Come on, McKay, there are eight of us. That should be more than enough to handle these little guys. Take away their guns and they have nothing to fight with."

McKay's eyes widened in dramatic horror, "John, if she captures me again, it's very likely I'll be raped! That's something I'll do anything to avoid."

"Listen, Casanova," John said. "You heard Conteale, there's only one certainty here. Those kids are going to die, which means there's really no choice in what we need to do."

Rodney squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, then let out a long breath. "I hope you realize we might die for a bunch of snot-nosed kids," McKay grumbled, but there was little conviction in his tone.

John responded, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ronon glanced out the door and then in their direction. "We need to get moving. Now."

They started to head out when McKay stopped to pick up something from the floor.

"McKay," John said as he peeked back in from the doorway. "Are you coming or not?"

McKay nodded and followed him into the hallway. By that time, Teyla, Ronon, and the others were already far down the corridor, following the map's directions to the mine's entrance and freedom.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	2. Chapter 2

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard," Dr. Elizabeth Weir strained to make out Sheppard's words over the cacophony of gunfire and explosions. "We are taking enemy fire and are bringing in several children from Jaxndaxta. We are pinned down near the stargate and need assistance." Sheppard's tone was urgent and angry. 

Dr. Elizabeth Weir glanced toward Major Lorne standing beside her. They hadn't been expecting to hear from Sheppard's team until much later in the day. She cocked her head slightly to one side, as if that would help her to better assess his situation. "Did you just say children?"

Sheppard started to speak, but a loud explosion cut him off. Elizabeth stepped forward. "Colonel?"

When there was no answer, she shared a worried look with Lorne. "Colonel, please respond."

Her only reply was the screams of children in the background and more weapons fire. She remembered Sheppard's parting comment as he left. _'Don't worry, this is a milk run. We'll be back before dinner.'_

' _Some milk run, Colonel.'_

She turned to Lorne. "Gear up and be ready to go through the gate on my order."

"On my way, ma'am," the major said as he took off running.

Lorne started issuing orders even as he moved down the stairs, "Okay, people, I want Teams Two, Three, and Four ready to gate immediately and two security details ringing the gate in standard formation. Alert status one, full gear, and double time it!"

She looked back to the gate, wishing Sheppard would respond. She heard concern echoing in her voice as she asked, "John, can you read me?"

Instead of Sheppard, McKay spoke up. "Elizabeth, Sheppard caught the concussion of a grenade blast. Looks like it rattled him pretty good, but I think he's basically okay." 

"Rodney, how close are you to getting through the gate?"

Another nearby explosion caused Elizabeth to grind her teeth together in frustration. 

"Holy shit," she heard Rodney curse. "We're – we're taking heavy fire. We could really use some help here, as in a lot of marines coming to the rescue and we could use it like right now – " McKay spoke fast, his voice rising with each word. 

A low groan from Sheppard silenced Rodney's rant. "Oh, are you with us again, Colonel? So nice of you to join us," McKay said. He sounded like he was trying for biting sarcasm, but worry came through instead. "Just sit still for a moment, will you?" he added quietly. 

Elizabeth didn't have the luxury of time to wait for answers when her people were obviously in trouble. "Rodney, what happened there? Why are you under attack?"

"Call it bad luck or bad timing," McKay muttered. "Look, there's no time to explain now, just – "

"Elizabeth, this is Sheppard... we've got about twenty kids that we've got to get out of here fast, but I don't think we'll be able to move them forward without a lot of extra fire power, as in puddle jumper drones and manpower." Sheppard sounded sluggish at first, as if still stunned by the explosion, and that worried Weir, but by the time he finished, he seemed more himself again. 

"Children? Where are their parents?"

Sheppard paused for a moment, taking a quick breath. "Long story. There are a handful of parents with us, but that's all. Lorne, be prepared, it's pretty wild here. These bad guys are called Sinomean raiders and we've managed to piss them off in a big way. Unfortunately, they are loaded to the gills with some heavy duty ordinance. We're near the DHD, but there's too much activity to safely get to the gate."

"Did you get that, Major?" Weir asked.

Lorne answered quickly, "Yes, ma'am, I've got Stackhouse and his team warming up Jumper Three as we speak."

"Very good, Major. As soon as we dial in, I want your people on the move, understood?"

"Roger that."

Turning her attention back to the gate, she said, "Okay, John, help is on the way." 

"I swear, Elizabeth, when I get my hands on those bastards – Damn it, they can come after us if they want, but not unarmed kids!" Sheppard still sounded winded, but more imposing was the rage that resonated in his words. It seemed to increase when he added quietly, "You better let Beckett know that there's also wounded incoming."

Elizabeth heard his anger, but she also heard his sense of responsibility speaking. Watching out for those children while trapped in a fierce firefight was pushing him hard. "Understood. We'll be ready to receive."

Weir watched as the first of Lorne's men began to assemble, and then tapped the mike on her headset. "Dr. Beckett, we have a group coming in with an unknown number of injuries, children included. Get a couple of teams down here right away."

As she finished, the gate went dark. A few seconds later, a puddle jumper, under Sgt. Stackhouse's command, was lowered down from the jumper bay to hover in front of the gate. With a nod to the technician beside her, who keyed in the dialing sequence, the gate came to life with a giant blue whoosh. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

They were going to die. It was as simple as that, Rodney decided as he ducked from the detonation of a nearby grenade. He went face first into the dark, loamy soil, and then had to spit the dirt away from his lips.

He brushed at his face in disgust. "Gives new meaning to the phrase, 'eat dirt'," he grumbled, looking around to see if it was safe to move about.

"Adding fiber to your diet, Rodney? You do look a bit peaked," Sheppard said as he fired at the sniper that had them pinned down.

"I'll take care of my own dietary concerns, thank you very much," he said as he got to his knees.

The boulder they were hiding behind offered some protection, but not much. "Speaking of food, do you think we could move this along? I can't remember the last time I ate."

"It was this morning." Sheppard paused as he fired again. "Eat a power bar and pipe down. You're distracting me."

"Right, as if the platoon of Sinomean raiders firing at us isn't entertaining enough, you have to verbally abuse me while you're at it!" Rodney was indignant. 

Sheppard gave Rodney a sideways glance of irritation. "You know what Conteale will do if we are captured again, stud muffin. The rest of us will be killed while you'll probably become her personal boy toy until she finishes playing with you, so shut up and let me do what I need to do."

Rodney swallowed and smiled uneasily as the visual of what Sheppard had described became very clear in his mind. He gestured weakly with a wave of his hand. "Carry on." 

Sheppard started to say something else, but then shouted, "Grenade." 

Rodney heard the faint whine of it rushing through the air toward them. He didn't bother to look how close it was. He'd learned to trust Sheppard implicitly when it came to life-and-death issues, so he ducked automatically. He was almost surprised to see him following suit. If the man had done that earlier, instead of trying to play Rambo, he wouldn't be covered in dirt and bleeding from both ears. 

Rodney chewed on the inside of his lower lip. Even though Sheppard maintained his standard banter of smart ass comments, he kept squinting and blinking his eyes every little bit, like he was trying to clear his vision. He was probably seeing double. And about to pass out. He had to have a concussion. Then, there was that whole slashed arm thing. Sheppard's field dressing was already red with blood. Rodney almost gagged at the sight. 

Sheppard was slow getting back to his feet after the blast and refused Rodney's outstretched hand, saying quietly, "I'm fine." 

_Fine, my ass_ , Rodney thought angrily. He decided that this wasn't the time or the place for them to argue, so he ventured to raise his head a bit more and said, "They're getting closer."

Sheppard paused in thought, and then brushed the back of his hand across his chin. "Yeah, we should move."

"To where? It's not like we can catch the next bus out of town."

"Well, that boulder over there looks rather appealing," Sheppard said as he pointed.

Rodney groaned with irritation. "Get serious. You're not looking at timeshares in Maui here. That rock isn't going to do much more in the way of keeping us alive than this one."

"Yes, but it will move us a little further from the DHD and stargate. I'd rather not have them blown to smithereens if I can avoid it." Sheppard gestured with his P-90. "Now, move. I'll cover you."

When Rodney had arrived safely at his new position, he waved Sheppard over, firing a few rounds from his 9-mil in the general direction of the snipers. Not that he would actually hit anything, but he thought it looked good. He couldn't help but notice how slowly Sheppard was moving, not at all like his usual rock 'em sock 'em self and Rodney began to worry again.

The sound of P-90s being fired behind them interrupted his thoughts. Sheppard came to full attention with the noise and he scanned the area behind them warily. Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, and the handful of marines who were armed with P-90s were all that stood between the children and the Sinomean raiders. Rodney, too, for that matter. 

Well, Rodney had his handgun to use for self-defense, but Sheppard didn't often let him carry a P-90. Said he didn't want Rodney to shoot him in the ass. Like that would happen. Well, not intentionally, at least. 

Rodney sighed. Maybe they shouldn't have tried to save the children. If they'd just left once they'd escaped and came right back with help... ah, who was he trying to fool? Those kids had been given a death sentence, and they were all that stood in the way of that order. Maybe if his team had made a run for the gate while the others watched over the kids? He shook his head. And maybe he shouldn't try to second guess Sheppard. The man might have a screw or two loose, but he had good instincts.

Rodney felt for the cylindrical object in the pocket of his tactical jacket and found it still there. Another wave of guilt flowed over him. Perhaps, if he hadn't snatched it from Conteale's hand, the raiders wouldn't be so hellbent on recapturing them. _Damn, talk about a woman scorned._

Still, acknowledging his culpability in the situation gave him a sick feeling, and he hated feeling sick, but much worse was the feeling of guilt. He watched as Sheppard peeked around the boulder and was rewarded with a bullet that would have passed through his head if he hadn't already been moving away. 

Sheppard smiled. "Hold on, there goes Ronon."

Rodney popped up enough to see Ronon make his way toward the direction of the sniper. That sniper didn't know it yet, but once Ronon got a hold of him, it would be all over. The same went for the operator of the grenade launcher that had to be positioned pretty close by. 

Rodney cursed when he heard the renewed sound of children crying and screaming. Sheppard must have heard the same thing, because the colonel's movements became tighter, like a cobra preparing to strike. Good God, Rodney thought, the man was seriously considering going back there. 

Rodney sighed and looked back to a cluster of boulders and trees where he knew the children were hiding with Teyla, McMurphy's team, and the handful of parents that had escaped with them. He thanked his lucky stars he wasn't stuck back there with them. Those little hellions had much better lungs than anyone should ever possess. 

He sighed nervously. He wasn't trying to be cruel, he just didn't have the kind of patience it took to deal with children, no matter the circumstances. Kids were always unpredictable, headstrong and emotional. They don't follow direction under the best of conditions and this certainly wasn't the best of anything. Missing their parents and scared shitless as they were, there was no way in hell they'd be able to get them through the gate without a lot of help.   
  
"Teyla," Sheppard said, after tapping his headset. "What's your position?"

"We are about fifty meters behind and to the west of the DHD."

"Are the kids doing okay?"

Teyla paused. Rodney knew the duty of watching over the children weighed heavily upon her. Sheppard certainly hadn't intended on getting pinned down when they went to move forward; he was merely trying to get close enough to the DHD to dial Atlantis. 

Finally, she spoke, "They are well enough. The parents who are with us are doing their best to keep the children calm. It is the wounded that worry me."

"Hang in there, help is only a few minutes away," Sheppard said, glancing back toward the gate.

Without warning, Teyla fired her P-90, and then said something to Sgt. McMurphy. 

Sheppard's head popped up with the sound of gunfire. "What's going on?"

"The Sinomeans were merely testing our resolve. They will not overrun our position," she said firmly. 

"Stay on your guard. Let me know if you need assistance." 

"And just what the hell are you going to do about it," Rodney asked incredulously as Sheppard tapped his radio off. "We can't move five inches without that damned sniper taking a shot at us or them lobbing another grenade our way."

"I could make it there if I had to," Sheppard said with a glare, though there was more than a little forced bravado echoing in his tone. He wiped at the sweat dripping into his eyes, and then sighed. "Think positive, Rodney, the cavalry is on the way." 

With that, he resumed firing his weapon. Rodney toyed with the 9 mil in his hand in frustration. He wondered why he'd even agreed to come along in the first place. Oh yeah, bribery. 

Sheppard had pulled him away from a very promising study of a newly discovered Ancient device. He'd left the relative safety of his cozy lab to face a life-and-death situation that he really could have done without. Yes, the enticement of a homemade meal made with the locals' fresh fruits and vegetables, a beautiful and amiable environment, and lots of fair young maidens had swayed him, but now he just wanted to get home alive. 

"Some paradise this is," he grumbled, still glaring at Sheppard. 

Rodney wiped at his forehead and was startled to see the back of his hand come away with a red smear on it. He brushed his fingers along the same location to find them wet with blood. About that time, Sheppard glanced in his direction.

"You're bleeding," he said. "I told you to keep your head down."

"Yeah, well, you also said this wouldn't take long... am I bleeding a lot?" he asked as he gingerly touched his forehead again, discovering the wound was along his hairline.

Sheppard grunted and fired again without answering him. Rodney's worry grew. "What? Am I going to have a scar from this?

Sheppard flashed him a roguish grin. "Don't worry, women love scars."

Rodney smiled briefly. "They do, don't they?"

"I think if Conteale's men were trying to kill us, they probably would have done it already," Sheppard said after changing magazines on his P-90. "They're using concussion grenades to stun us, not kill us. I just can't figure out why they are so hot to get us back unless Conteale just wants to exact her revenge on us in person."

Rodney gave Sheppard a sick smile. "It's probably – well, it might be – no, it's probably – due to this." He pulled the Sinomean device from his tac vest.

"What's that?" Sheppard asked with a distinct frown.

"I don't know but it seemed pretty important to Captain Conteale. I'd venture to say it's probably a control interface device of some sort. It fell out of her hand when you knocked her out. I just picked it up on my way out."

"Damn it, McKay," John muttered, looking away as if to contain his anger.

Rodney ducked his head, chagrined, and then he glanced at the device, his fingers probing its contours. "Maybe if I can figure out this thing works, I can use it to cause some trouble for the Sinomeans."

Sheppard grumbled something that Rodney didn't bother to hear. The device was fascinating now that he took the time to really look at it. A touch at different locations along its cylindrical shape caused amazing configurations to appear at one end or the other, configurations that could access various equipment and computer interfaces. 

He was about to comment on it to Sheppard when a man's voice came from deeper in the forest. "Give up now, and we'll spare your lives and those of the children. Fight us, and you'll all die."

Rodney continued to work as Sheppard shouted back, "Somehow, I get the feeling if we give up, we're all going to die anyway, so I think we'll just continue like we are."

"Suit yourself, but you're making a big mistake. You can only hold us off for so long before we get you."

Sheppard didn't pause. "Now, that's no way to conduct negotiations. You know how it goes, you give a little, and then we give a little."

"No negotiations. Surrender now!"

"He's a lot of help," Sheppard muttered. He let loose with his P-90, making Rodney jump. 

Rodney stopped working and glowered over at Sheppard in disbelief. "Didn't you hear the man? They're just waiting for us to run out of ammo, and I'm in no mood to save your ass once again."

"Oh, stop whining, McKay. You know Lorne will be here – "

Rodney cut him off before he finished. "I don't whine, I make valid observ-"

Rodney stopped in mid-word when the stargate came to life, bursting forward and then back. Its bright, shimmering appearance was the best thing Rodney had seen in a long while. "It's about damned time," he muttered.

Sheppard hit the button on his headset. "Okay, guys, let it rip. We've got to give cover fire for our guys coming in the gate."

As the air echoed with the sound of several P-90s being fired, the promised jumper came in and cloaked itself almost immediately. Then, a drone was fired at one of the raiders' unusually shaped reconnaissance planes circling overhead. The damaged aircraft's engines whined loudly before it exploded in the air.

Shrapnel rained over the area and Rodney crouched down, trying to make his body as small a target as possible. 

"Shit, shit, shit," he repeated with his hands over the back of his head. "I thought they were supposed to rescue us, not kill us!"

The crying kids were wailing at full volume and Sheppard rubbed his lower lip with the back of his hand. Sheppard always did have a weak spot for kids, but the current danger surrounding the ones in their care magnified his concern many times over. 

Rodney sighed with relief when he saw Lorne and his men emerging from the gate. The proverbial cavalry had finally come to their rescue. Now, they might actually have a chance to go home, and he would really, really like to go home. 

"Spread out fast," Sheppard warned Lorne as soon as he caught sight of them. "There are snipers and grenade launchers in the area and at least a dozen hostiles, probably more."

Even as the men were taking cover, a shot from the grenade launcher went wild. It hit an area far from any of them, and Rodney couldn't see why until he heard the sound of Ronon's weapon firing several times. 

"Ronon must be slowing down. He should have taken care of that grenade launcher minutes ago," Sheppard grumbled, but he looked relieved as he said it.

"Give the man a break," Rodney muttered. "Even Conan is only human. Well, at least I think he is."

Smiling slightly as he looked up into the air, Sheppard said, "Glad to see you could stop by, Major."

He heard Lorne whistle. "I'm sure you are, sir. You've got quite a party going on here. Mind if we join in?"

"Be our guest."

"Where do you want us deployed?"

Sheppard started issuing orders and Rodney found himself beginning to relax. He just might survive this nightmare.

**oOoOoOoOo**

While John waited for Lorne to position his men, the puddle jumper downed another Sinomean aircraft, hitting one of its wings. The plane pin-wheeled into the forest and burst into flames as it hit the hillside. 

Other grenade launchers came to life very quickly. If the raiders hadn't seen the jumper when it first came through the gate, they were bound to know something was shooting down their aircraft by now, and it was obvious they weren't very happy with the latest development.

Grenade after grenade began to pummel the sky until they made contact. The cloaked puddle jumper became visible for a moment before the cloak was reactivated, but it was pretty easy to follow the plume of smoke as it headed away from them. 

"That's not good," McKay whispered, and John cursed under his breath.

"Puddle jumper, this is Sheppard. Report your status."

There was no reply. His voice was louder and more urgent as he said, "Sheppard to puddle jumper, respond!" 

Gunfire pulled his attention away from the jumper and back to their own situation. All John could do was hope that they were okay as he watched the trail of smoke going over the mountain. 

He took a deep breath as his arm seemed to throb more fiercely and his stomach did slow rolls. "No, it's not good, Rodney. It's not good at all."

The Sinomeans had an impressive ground force, but they were no match for Lorne's marines. Soon, they had made a definite dent in the Sinomean offensive line. Lorne's voice came over the radio. "Okay, I think we've got them backed up enough for you to start sending people through."

John nodded in relief. "Elizabeth, we're ready to dial out."

"Understood. We'll see you soon." 

The gate went dark and then one of Lorne's men dialed the gate address for Atlantis. John's voice was emphatic. "Major, just make sure you've got enough bodies providing cover for Teyla's group as they move. Those kids are our primary concern right now."

"Yes, sir, I've got an entire detail with them, along with McMurphy's team. They'll be safe... at least as safe as they can be under these conditions."

John nodded. "Okay, Teyla, move up the first group, but be careful. Even though Ronon knocked out one of the grenade launchers, we just saw there's a few more out there, and probably more snipers. These guys are good. They took down a puddle jumper without a whole lot of trouble. I don't want any new surpris– " 

Something whispered at the back of his thoughts and he realized Ronon should have checked in by now. He looked in the direction of the sniper's nest. "Ronon, report."

There was no reply. "Ronon, this is Sheppard, what's your location?"

He turned and caught McKay's furrowed gaze. "Ah, crap," the scientist muttered.

Sheppard frowned and nodded. "Something must have happened to him. You have Teyla take the first group through the gate, McKay. It's your responsibility to make sure the next one is right behind them."

"My responsibility? When did I get promoted to line captain? I'm not good at this kind of thing," he whined.

"Just do it. Lorne will be nearby. You'll do fine. I'm going to go check on Ronon." John started moving out.

McKay wiped at his forehead again. "When you find him, tell him his stature as super soldier is slipping."

John glanced back. "You heard me. Make sure those kids keep a steady pace into the gate." 

John faded into the brush and boulders, even while McKay was still complaining under his breath. Something was wrong with Ronon and John was pretty sure he wouldn't like what he would find when he caught up with the Satedan.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	3. Chapter 3

The going was slow as John made his way toward the sniper's nest, mostly because the terrain sloped upward sharply. The Sinomean snipers had picked the best positions in the area to bedevil them. Damn, these people knew what they were doing. 

_Why can't we ever face a few inept enemies?_

The rugged landscape provided him with lots of cover, but the exertion of climbing left his head and arm pounding. In fact, he was concentrating so hard on moving, he actually jumped when McKay's voice came over his headset. 

"Okay, Teyla's in position. Did you find Ronon?"

John paused behind a boulder, but his gaze never stopped scanning the area, looking for any sign of Ronon. He let go of his P-90 for a moment as he cradled his injured arm. It didn't help that he'd landed on it more than once during the barrage of grenades. 

Glancing down, he saw the field dressing was barely holding back the flow of blood down his arm. He gripped the P-90 again and answered McKay as he started moving again. 

"No, not yet, but he's left enough dead and unconscious bodies around to know he's been through here."

McKay muttered, "It's damn inconvenient for him to go AWOL right when we need him most."

John rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's very damn inconvenient. But then he did take out a grenade launcher and sniper singlehandedly, so I suppose we could cut him some slack – Damn!"

He came around a huge tree and found Ronon sprawled on the ground with two bullet wounds in his shoulder. Normally, that would have merely slowed him down, but he'd lost a lot of blood and seemed barely able to hold on to consciousness. 

John took a moment to do a quick 360-degree turn to make sure their location was secure. He kicked away the weapons from the four Sinomeans lying on the ground. Two were dead and the other two looked close to it. Still, it wouldn't do to have a raider pop up with a weapon in hand at an inappropriate moment. He knelt down and patted Ronon's cheek. 

"Ronon, can you hear me?" Ronon's eyelids fluttered with the sound of John's voice. 

John had forgotten all about McKay until the man was yelling in his ear, bombarding him with an endless stream of questions. "What? Why did you say damn? Did you find Ronon? Is he in trouble? Are you in trouble? Damn it, answer me!"

"You've really got to cut down on your caffeine intake, McKay," John grumbled as he took out a field dressing and applied pressure against Ronon's wound to stem the blood flow. Ronon groaned in response, but John didn't ease up. "Ronon took a couple of bullets to the shoulder. He's semiconscious, but not enough to help, so I'm going to need some assistance moving him back to the gate."

"What's your location?" Lorne asked breathlessly, as if he was on the run.

John described his position and Lorne answered. "I'm near you. Be there shortly."

"I can make it on my own," Ronon said groggily, trying to rise up on one elbow.

John forced him back down. "Sure you can, but why push yourself when you don't have to?"

Ronon groaned again, but this time, it was in obvious frustration. 

John frowned as he realized he needed an update. "Rodney, is Teyla's group through yet?"

"They're moving to the gate now – "

An ear-piercing screech cut through the air, interrupting McKay. It was followed by such intense screams of horror that John spun around in the direction of the stargate. They were blood-curdling screams. John tried to imagine what could cause such sudden fear and came up with a hundred different scenarios, each one worse than the previous. Now, it was his turn to ask questions. "What the hell was that?"

Ronon forced himself up when the chorus of screams intensified, and John didn't fight him this time. He was too intent on what was happening on the other end of his radio. He heard McKay say, "What the fu– "

Rodney's voice trailed off before he started yelling, "Hey, kids, come back here! You can't get through the gate that way! Get back over here! Sheppard, we need you now, damn it!"

John gritted his teeth together in frustration. "What's happening?"

Teyla answered for him. "Colonel, something terrible has attacked the children. Something I couldn't get a glimpse of, but I fear there are dead among them and our own people now, and there's even more wounded. We need additional assistance and we need it now."

"Lorne, get every man to the gate! That includes you. I'll get Ronon back."

"But, sir – "

"No buts, just do it! That's an order!" John took a deep breath and stared in the direction of the gate. "I don't care how you do it, Teyla, but get all the kids you can through that gate now. We don't know when or if the Sinomeans will make another run at us, but the fewer targets around, the better. We'll take care of getting the others across. You just get the ones who can move to safety."

"We are starting through the gate now," Teyla said, sounding torn between saving the ones she could and mourning those who were lost.

There was no time for grief, though, because multiple shots rang out and new screams echoed in the early morning air. 

"Lorne, where's the goddamned backup for Teyla's group?" John barked.

He'd barely finished speaking when Lorne growled, "McMurphy, knock that gun out!"

"Already on it, sir," came a low graveled reply from Sgt. McMurphy.

John started to get to his feet and moved too quickly, at least faster than his battered body could tolerate. He got a major head rush, causing his vision to go blurry again. He put a hand on the ground to steady himself and shook his head, instantly regretting it. He knew he had lost blood from the gash on his arm, but it wasn't enough for this reaction. Maybe it was the concussion finally getting the best of him. Or it was everything all together. 

His sense of nausea and dizziness only increased and he took a good long breath. The adrenaline rush from the battle that had been fueling his actions until now was beginning to play out. Damn, he needed to hold it together a little longer. He still had to get Ronon back to the gate and then to help with those kids. He felt a hand on his arm and jerked his P-90 up until he saw Ronon beside him with his hand on John's arm. "Sheppard?"

John blinked and squared his shoulders. "Uh, sorry. I guess I spaced out there for a moment. I'm fine. Let's go."

Ronon didn't move. "You don't look fine. You didn't even hear me calling to you until I touched you."

John ignored his concern as he turned back toward the gate and pointed. "Listen to those kids screaming. We've got to get back there. Right now, nothing else matters."

There were a few more shots, and then McMurphy's' voice came over the headset, "Target eliminated, sir. The medics are with the injured at the gate. We lost at least one man, maybe more, in that freak attack, and we've got injured. God, I don't know how many of the kids were killed... it's not good."

Lorne spoke up. "We're almost to the gate."

John heard the hoarseness in his voice as he said, "Lorne, don't waste a second. Get the wounded through and watch out for whatever attacked them."

McKay spoke up. "Teyla and the first group are through." 

John closed his eyes for a moment at the information. What should have been good news barely registered. Those children had been killed on his watch and the ones who lived will probably be traumatized forever. 

John rubbed his aching arm, and then realized what he was doing and adjusted his hold on his P-90. He could deal with his injuries once those children were safe. His tone was angry, more at their assailants than Rodney, but he still took it out on his friend. "And you're still standing around talking about it, McKay? Get the next group moving!"

"There's just no pleasing you," Rodney said, sounding like he was running.

"I'll be pleased when those kids are safe and not before."

"All right, I got it already."

John turned back to Ronon who was on his knees by then, though his skin tones were several shades paler. Ronon swayed a bit and had a hand pressed tightly against his bleeding shoulder as John met his uneven gaze. John asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Ronon smirked and held up a bloodied hand. "I dunno. How many fingers am I holding up?"

There was only one finger pointed upward, one with implied meaning, and the sight made John grin despite their situation. He'd have to have a talk with the other expedition members about corrupting every alien they came across when he got back to Atlantis. "You just looked like you were having trouble focusing," John replied.

"One of them clocked me pretty good with his rifle butt, but that was the last thing he ever did."

"Well, that explains your grogginess." John took a deep breath. "So, you think you can do this?"

Ronon didn't pause. "I'm ready."

John nodded. "Okay, on three."

He was able to get Ronon on his feet, but only after a lot of effort. "Geez, you're big," he said with a grunt. 

Ronon faltered, dropping to his knees despite John's hold on him, and he took John down with him, eliciting a grunt from both of them. John inhaled slowly to steady himself as Ronon pulled away. "Leave me. I can make it back on my own. Go see what's wrong with the kids."

John shook his head and instantly regretted it. He had to put a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath. "We don't leave our people behind. Come on, let's try again."

When they stood this time, both of them fared slightly better. At least, Ronon didn't collapse again. John tried to take on as much of Ronon's weight as he could, but he was barely able to keep the Satedan on his feet. "You okay?" he asked breathlessly.

Ronon groaned as he put a hand to the back of his head, and blinked several times. He ground his teeth together. "I'm good to go. There's some serious payback I need to take care of." 

"I hear you. I want to get my hands on those raiders as much as you do, but first we've got to get you to the gate. Focus on putting one foot in front of the other." 

It was good advice for both of them, since the edges around John's vision were beginning to darken. Ronon went silent and they kept moving, though they weren't going very fast. John was quiet, too, mostly because it took all his concentration to keep Ronon upright. He consoled himself that it was only a little further to the gate. He could make it that far, but not much more until he had a handful of aspirin and a minute to rest. 

Rodney's voice was grim as he said, "Sending the second group through now with our soldiers carrying the wounded. That should be all of them... at least the ones who are still alive."

Ronon faltered and John tightened his grip. "Go on through, we're on our way back to the gate now – "

John stopped speaking when he heard a high-pitched whine and knew without looking that there was a grenade coming in their direction. He'd heard that sound way too much for one day. He shouted, "Grenade!"

They fell to the ground with John throwing himself over the Satedan to protect Ronon's body as much as possible. Both of them put their hands over the backs of their heads as the grenade exploded nearby. Then John's hands balled into fists. He was tired of this crap. He rolled to his side and fired his P-90 in the general area the grenade had come from, grinding his teeth from pain and frustration. 

They moved to the relative safety of a boulder. It was only then that John took in the grisly scene around the gate. His mind refused to comprehend that the small forms lying about had once been children. The area looked like someone had come through the area with a hatchet, leaving bodies strewn about like abandoned toys. John tried to turn away, but couldn't. Little wonder why he had heard the kids screaming, they were the screams that heralded brutal death. 

"Sheppard, stop lollygagging and get over here! We'll cover you!" McKay shouted, taking John by surprise. His lapses in attention were starting to disturb him.

Looking ahead, John saw McKay and McMurphy hiding behind a group of boulders, guarding the gate. Their presence was strangely reassuring and drew his attention away from the dead. He said the first thing that came to mind. "I thought I told you to go through the damn gate!"

McKay shrugged. "So sue me! I thought, with good reason, that you might need some backup! Besides, the medics already moved the injured with the help of Lorne's men," McKay said indignantly.

"When the brilliant astrophysicist is right, he's right," Ronon said quietly.

John gave Ronon a peeved look and said under his breath, "Yeah, but don't ever tell him that. It will give him a big head and it's already big enough."

"Hello? Are you coming or have you decided you to stay in this vacation wonderland?" 

John rolled his eyes as they started moving again. They hadn't gotten very far when they had to duck again as another grenade hit near them, pounding them with dirt and debris. This time, neither Ronon nor John moved very quickly to get back to their feet. John rolled onto one side, gripping his arm as it throbbed with an agonizing rhythm. 

The others were by the DHD, shooting at the snipers, when McKay shouted from behind his boulder, "Stop being a wuss. You're the one who's always telling me to stop talking and start moving, so move it, Colonel!"

John shook his head gingerly and looked to Ronon. "I think we've created a monster." He sighed with the depth of his discomfort and said, "Let's go."

As the others continued to lay down cover fire, the two men got to their feet, and made a mad dash for it. Bullets were peppering the air and ground around them, but none hit their target. At least, not yet. 

**oOoOoOoOo**


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth Weir was relieved to see Teyla finally emerge from the gate. She carried a small child in her arms and was followed by still more children with some of the older ones holding little babies too young to walk on their own. Elizabeth stepped closer to the balcony of the control room as she watched them enter. All the refugees were from a battle zone... and they were just kids, ranging in age from infants to preteens, twelve or thirteen years of age.

The terror obvious in the youngsters, a fear the likes of which few adults would ever know, was palpable as they moved away from the gate area. Several of the kids were injured, some were screaming, some just crying, while still others were stumbling to the ground. The adult villagers with them weren't in much better shape. 

Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth. This was supposed to be a simple mission to pick up a shipment of fruit and vegetables. These people were mere farmers, without many weapons or riches. Why would the raiders even bother with them?

Most of the city's staff moved in to take a child into their arms – that was if the child would allow the physical contact – and they tried to console the little ones, but it was too late for consolation. These kids wanted their parents and nothing was going to comfort them until that happened.

Elizabeth realized she hadn't seen this level of emotion since the Wraith siege on the city. Back then, her people had been braced for war. Even so, it wasn't children fighting for their lives...dear God, these were just kids. Her heart ached at the sight. 

She let her hand drop from her mouth to her neck as she said, "We need more people down there to assist with the children."

"I can – " Chuck, one of the nearby technicians, volunteered as he started to stand.

"No, the control room staff is too vital at the moment," she interrupted. 

Chuck returned to his seat, but said, "What about the kitchen staff? The mess hall is close by. We can move the kids who aren't as badly hurt there until we can straighten things out."

Elizabeth gave him a quick smile. "Excellent idea. Do it. And tell them to hurry."

Beckett's medical teams had arrived by then, and immediately began to triage the injured. When Beckett saw the number of patients involved and their emotional state, he let out a deep breath before he tapped his headset. "This is Beckett. I'll be needing every last one of my people down at the gate room stat." 

Moments later, the additional staff arrived, bringing all the equipment they could grab along the way, just as the last of the children arrived with Lorne and his marines through the wormhole. 

Elizabeth continued to stare at the gate, desperately waiting for John, McKay, and the rest of the off-world team to step through. If she hadn't been watching so closely, she might have missed the gate's whisper that heralded another traveler had just come through. Her hands tightened their grip on her arms. She could clearly see the ripples in the event horizon, but not who or what it had caused it. 

Before she even had time to think, she was forced to cover her ears against a brief high-pitched screech. As Elizabeth stared down from her vantage point, she saw several of the people, adults and children alike, suddenly topple over. It seemed as if a rogue elephant had plowed across the gate room platform, bowling over anyone in its wake, leaving dead and wounded strewn along the sidelines.

She never saw an assailant. 

It had all happened in the blink of an eye, but the end result was terrifying. Beckett's teams again tried to take control of an uncontrollable situation, and fanned out amongst the fallen, assessing injuries as they went. It appeared their mysterious aggressor was indiscriminate in its attack, downing marines, medical staff, and children when it tore through, but how?

Her mouth dropped open as the sudden realization hit her that they now had an intruder loose in Atlantis. She spun around to face the staff in the control room and barked, "I want a level four lock down on the gate room now! A hostile presence has entered through the gate and I want it contained!"

She took a quick breath as her people followed her orders, and then she looked back to the gate room to see if there were any new attacks. Thankfully, there were no more. She was still waiting for Sheppard, McKay, Ronon and McMurphy to return so they could close the gate and secure the shield. Until that gate was shut down, anything could happen. She faced a very tough decision.

Elizabeth had known bewilderment and times of being powerless before as the expedition's commander, but never like this, never with this level of uncontrollable hysteria. Now, she had to worry for the safety of those in the city, along with those still on the other side, and she continued to debate with herself about closing down the stargate. 

The frustration was clear in her voice as she called again. "Sheppard, McKay, this is Weir, what's the delay?"

Down below, Major Lorne spoke to Teyla as he handed an unconscious boy about five years old to one of Beckett's people. The nurse laid the boy on the floor and began to check his vitals. Teyla's expression was grim as she paused to speak to the nurse, gesturing with her head to Lorne's arm. could see it was bleeding, but he waved off the medical assistance. 

Teyla bit her lip, but didn't argue with him. Instead, she gave him a reluctant nod. Pressing her lips to the head of the young girl she'd carried through the gate, she said something to him. The girl in Teyla's arms was crying so hard, could see her shoulders shudder even from this distance. 

Lorne looked up and met 's gaze. He glanced back down at Teyla and she nodded for him to go ahead. He barreled up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He was dirty, sweaty, and bloodied from the arm wound. Gauging by the tension in his jaw and the horror in his eyes, he was even more unnerved by the situation than she was, but then not only had he been to Jaxndaxta, and seen the carnage for himself, he had witnessed it happening again here at home. 

He spoke even before he came to a stop, his voice breathless and hoarse with emotion. "Colonel Sheppard ordered us to go through, ma'am. He was bringing Ronon back to the gate. McKay and McMurphy's team were providing cover fire. They must be pinned down again."

She sighed and tapped her headset again. "John, this is Elizabeth. Can you read me?"

**oOoOoOoOo**

John and Ronon maintained a strange momentum as they headed to the gate, and though they wobbled when Ronon's weight was carried more by Sheppard than by the wraith runner himself, somehow it worked. Of course, having bullets whiz by their heads proved to be great motivation. 

The gate was still open, still waiting for them to come through, beckoning like an oasis in the desert. Not quite as beautiful was McKay as he stood with Sgt. McMurphy, waving for them to keep coming. Rodney started to step out when Sgt. McMurphy pulled him back. John looked around with alarmed confusion until he saw they were staring up at an approaching aircraft coming up behind Ronon and himself.

"Find cover fast! Looks like we've got an enemy plane coming right at us," McMurphy shouted.

"As if there isn't enough to deal with," John muttered as he pulled Ronon down behind the nearest boulder. It wasn't nearly big enough to shield both of them, but he hoped it would suffice. He aimed his P-90, trying to get a bead on it, and fired off a few shots, but then shook his head. "It's too high and coming too fast."

At the same time, Ronon pulled his weapon and fired without hesitation, but all it did was merely rock the approaching plane. He kept firing as the plane passed over them. John was surprised it hadn't returned fire, but then he realized there was a much greater threat as something fell from the sky.   
  
"It's a bomb! Get away from here!" John shouted to the others as it slowly descended. 

  
He grabbed Ronon by the shirt and they began running back in the direction they'd just come. The bullets were still flying, but that was the least of their problems. He felt the bomb's concussion lift him and Ronon into the air and he closed his eyes in preparation. This was going to hurt. A lot. Then the roar of the blast enveloped them and everything went black.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Before Elizabeth had a chance to say anything more, a sudden explosion from the other side of the gate rocked the gate room. It caused a strange reddish glow to sweep around the gate itself, circling around and around until the gate went dark. Everyone froze, staring in shock and alarm for a moment until the reddish glow started flashing along the conduits. It went from there to appear in the Ancient devices in the control room, jumping from one piece of equipment to the next, and then all hell broke loose. Sparks sprayed everywhere, causing several small fires to break out. 

In the darkness before the emergency systems kicked in, Elizabeth heard Zelenka shout rapid orders to contain the damage from a massive system overload. Just as the emergency generator came online, Elizabeth turned to her right, spotting Zelenka amid the confusion and asked, "How bad is it, Radek?"

"Bad. It looks like communications are down, along with gate travel, but I can't be sure how badly until we run a full systems diagnostic."

Elizabeth coughed and put a hand over her nose and mouth as noxious fumes began to rise from the damaged equipment. The smoke was filling the room. "Open the outer doors to clear the smoke," she called to a technician.

As her order was carried out, she turned to Lorne. "You’re hurt. You need one of Beckett’s people to look at your arm."

Lorne shook his head. "It's not that bad. A lucky shot from a Sinomean sniper just as I got to the gate. Glad it was me and not one of the kids." He glanced at the others down below. "There's a lot of people much worse off down there. I'll deal with it once they’re taken care of."

Elizabeth searched his expression for hints that he was minimizing his condition, but found none. "Well, consider it an order if you haven't sought treatment by the time things settle down here." She hesitated. "I really need to debrief you, Major, but there's no time. Tell me quickly what happened there."

"There wasn't a lot of free time to talk to the Colonel. I know we lost the jumper soon after we went through the gate, but I don't know where it crashed or if there are any survivors."

"And the others?"

He shook his head. "As I said, when I left, Sgt. McMurphy and his team, and Dr. McKay were waiting for Ronon and the Colonel to join them. It was supposed to be a matter of a few minutes."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling in commiseration. "We'll get them back. Are you sure you’re okay for a few minutes?”

He nodded. She took a deep breath. "Then stay here and take care of things here for me for a moment. I need to see for myself what's happening down there."

Lorne stepped to block her way slightly. "It isn't pretty, ma'am," he said quietly as he unconsciously rubbed at the drying blood on his hands.

She put a hand to his shoulder as she tried to step past him. "The aftermath of a disaster rarely is, but I can handle it." 

She glanced to Zelenka, who was still busy dealing with damaged equipment. "Help Dr. Zelenka with whatever he needs. I won't be gone long."

Lorne caught her forearm and didn't move out of her way. "That – thing – whatever it was, is still on the loose. Colonel Sheppard's not here, so you're my responsibility now."

"I appreciate your concern." She looked him directly in the eye. "But we're no safer here than they are down there. We've blocked off as much of the city as we can to contain the risks to our population, but that's all we can do at the moment."

Lorne's gaze intensified. "Meaning no disrespect, ma'am, but we need to find out where that thing is and how to kill it."

She took a deep breath and nodded. She should have already issued that order. Her concern for the injured had clouded her thoughts. "Yes, of course. Get your search teams started. I'll try to get you more manpower once we get some of these children calmed down and treated. But be careful out there."

"Yes, ma'am." He didn't look happy about her leaving the control room, but he nodded as he let go of her and stepped back. 

A rush of fresh air swept into the room from the opened outer doors as she walked down the small set of stairs leading to the main staircase. The gentle breeze was a welcomed relief compared to the suffocating confusion she knew had to be at the base of the stairs. 

As much as she wanted to linger up in the fresh air, she had a greater concern for the injured. She had to know firsthand what was going on if she was to help them. It was time for her to be among her people.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	5. Chapter 5

Out of the ether of disorientation came voices. Even barely conscious like he was, the noise put John's nerves on edge. 

"What the hell are we doing out here, Matty? Hauling these bastards around is going to give us all hernias. And for what? It would be better to just kill them all now and be done with it. If we'd done that when we first found them at the village, then we wouldn't be out in this forest now."

"The Captain ordered us to retrieve them and that's what we're gonna do," Matty replied with obvious irritation.

"Well, you know what I think about that," the first one grumbled. 

"Shut up! You don't want the wrong person to hear you say that," Matty whispered, darting a glance over his shoulder. "You wouldn't be long for this life if they did."

"I know, I know. It's just that Captain Conteale does things so back-ass-ward sometimes. Not that I'm complaining about the size of our booty, though. It's a whole lot better than I made with Captain Destarn. It's just different and sometimes it just feels wrong. Besides, it's just you, me, and Jerent here."

"Yeah, but don't forget Kyson and Goddett are in the area, along with a couple of the new guys."

John continued to listen to them as they grumbled. It took a while for him to get his bearings, at least much longer than he was comfortable with. It didn't help that his head was pounding to the rapid throb of his arm wound. His arm seemed to be conducting a symphony of pain, combining all the other aches of his body to join in with intertwining melodies. John could have done without the rousing chorus.

He suppressed the distinct urge to groan and pushed away his pain, trying to remember how he got into his present condition. Flashes from earlier in the day started replaying in his head. As it did, his anger erupted anew. Sinomean raiders and dead kids. The fog in his brain began to clear away. Damn, it was time to get moving. He had things to do, people to see, and asses to kick.

He cracked his eyelids open a fraction, but had to snap them shut because the midday sun was directly in his eyes. Shifting his head slightly, trees blocked the glare somewhat, but his vision was still too blurry to make out more than rough shapes. He had to blink a few more times before he could see a couple of darkly clad men standing nearby, and a couple more moving people onto a transport vehicle. John recognized them as Sinomeans right away, their black uniforms reminding John of midget ninjas. 

From this angle, they seemed even less intimidating than when he'd first met them. The tallest was barely five feet tall, though heavily muscled. It took four of them to carry Ronon up the lowered ramp and place him across from John at the head of the same transport vehicle. The men were breathing hard by the time they were done. 

John realized the Sinomeans had to use such heavy duty ordinance because they'd never last in a hand-to-hand confrontation with a regular-sized human, even one in John's sorry shape. He just needed another moment to gather his strength before attacking. 

Ronon didn't move as the men left and that worried John, but he could see the slow rise and fall of Ronon's chest and knew he was still breathing. That eased John's concern slightly. John let out a slow breath of his own and assessed his physical condition. He already knew about the concussion, he'd had enough of those to recognize the symptoms. And then there was that damned cut on his arm that never stopped throbbing. Now, it was hard to breathe, like he'd cracked a rib or two. If he was lucky, that would be all. 

"Let go of me, you imbeciles! Can't you see I'm badly hurt! Don't you know the dangers of moving an injured man before assessing his injuries? Let go of me! My arm is broken! Ow! Son of a bitch! That hurt!"

Even with the gravity of their situation, John's lips curled into a slight grin. McKay was simply being McKay, and John felt some sense of normalcy had returned to his world just by listening to Rodney complain. To the scientist, that came as naturally to him as breathing. 

McKay was pushed up the ramp onto the tail of the transport and forced to sit down, tucking his long legs underneath him to avoid sitting on Ronon's feet. As he did, he continued to give the guard a piece of his mind – and McKay had a lot of mind to share – not that anyone was listening except John. By the time he was done, Rodney was pale and sweating, and clutching his left arm with his right. Sgt. McMurphy was already on the transport, lying unmoving across from McKay's position, and appeared to be unconscious... or dead. There was no way for John to know from that distance. 

Then one of the raiders began talking to his commander via two way radio. John was close enough to hear both sides of the conversation. "It looks like there was a lot of damage done to the ancestral ring with the detonation."

"Then it's good that we came by spaceship, isn't it?" 

John realized he still wasn't on top of things yet. He hadn't noticed the damage to the DHD until the Sinomean mentioned it. The battered DHD had smoke pluming high into the air. That meant no dialing out, at least without McKay to repair it. Damn.

And something else was wrong. He glanced toward the sun high over head again. Now, it was the time of day that alarmed him. Hours had passed since his last communication with Atlantis. They should have already sent in more teams. 

John heard the sneer in the other man's voice, pulling him back to the conversation going on nearby. "Load them up and bring them here on the double. Conteale is chomping at the bit to get them back. Any further delays will fall on your head."

_Great, Cruella Deville is waiting for her next batch of puppies to skin. I think that would be us. Bow wow._

"We're almost done, but we've still got to check the surrounding area for stragglers."

"Better bring what you have now and leave the rest of your other men to search. Captain Conteale is in one of her murderous moods. Need I say more?"

The man in front of John straightened and cleared his throat nervously. It hadn't taken much for Conteale's man to reevaluate his priorities, which said a lot about Conteale's heavy-handed command style. Crossing her seemed to be tantamount to suicide. "No, you don't. We'll head back once we have them loaded up, Mannis."

He ended his call and turned around, using a lot more authority in his voice than he'd used with his superior as he said, "Jerent, Boneys, and me are heading back to the base. You others go assist in the ground search."

The men nodded and started to walk away. Matty turned and said, "Boneys, put up the containment rails before they start waking up."

John took a moment to glance around the transport he was lying on. The business end of the transport was about eight feet by sixteen feet and could have been used to haul equipment, supplies or men. Or in their case, prisoners. There were rails that could be raised and locked into place, obviously the containment rails that Matty had just mentioned.

Boneys put up the rail on McKay’s side of the transport and began to attach McKay’s handcuffs to it, which made McKay yelp with pain. He cursed the man and then began a stream of angry words too fast for John to understand. Ignoring McKay, the man finished with him and started to move up to attach Ronon's handcuffs in the same way. Glancing down, John finally realized he was wearing handcuffs, too. 

Damn. Handcuffs might make things a little more difficult when he was ready to escape, especially if they were attached to the railing. He sighed softly. The shortest of the group of guards who was standing next to McMurphy began to lift the rail on John's side of the transport, but stopped and said, "Uh, Matty, hold on a second. Nature's calling."

Matty sighed impatiently. "Jerent, you did hear Mannis, right? Conteale is waiting for us."

"Yeah, yeah, it won't take long," he said as he disappeared into the brush.

The radio came alive. "Hey, are you guys screwing with us?"

Matty picked up his radio. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"If it's not you, then there's something out here with us."

Matty sighed. "I just sent Kyson, Goddett, and the new guys over to you. It's probably them."

"No, it ain't us," another voice came over the radio. "We just got here and we ain't doing nothing to them."

"Whatever," Matty said, "Just finish the damned search."

He turned and cursed. "Boneys, I told you to put up those containment rails!"

"I am – " Boneys stopped speaking as the radio came alive again.

"Boss, it's Kyson. Bobo's right. There's something really weird going on here."

Everyone turned to stare down the slope at the others. John licked his lips and figured there was no time like the present to move. 

"Define weird," Matty said as he concentrated.

John took advantage of the distraction and slipped off the flatbed. He landed rather heavily on the balls of his feet and knelt out of sight, putting a hand to the side of the transport to keep from toppling over and took several rapid breaths to prevent himself from passing out. 

_Suck it up, Sheppard_ , he told himself as his head spun. The pain he could deal with. Much harder to ignore was the dizziness and nausea that came with his movements.

He cautiously reached up to peer over the bed of the transport to make sure the men hadn't moved. As he did, he saw McKay's eyes were widened in surprise. John winked at him and put a finger to his lips, and then he gestured to wait two seconds and sound off. He ducked around to the front of the vehicle, picking up a good-sized branch to use as a club and waited for McKay. He didn't have to wait long.

"Listen, you can't just lug us around like we are produce for market! I demand to speak to Captain Conteale! You know her and I have a _thing_ going on and once she finds out what you've done, she'll have your ass in a sling!"

Matty moved to McKay's side of the transport, pulling his weapon as he went. "Shut up before I shoot you!" he shouted.

"Hey, Matty, we're missing one," Boneys said, pointing. 

About that time, John came from the front of the transport and hit Matty on the side of the head. The man went down like a dropped sack of potatoes. John spun around and caught Boneys in the gut with the blunt end of the branch, knocking the air out of him. Dropping the branch, John bent down to pick up Matty's weapon when his horizon suddenly shifted, taking him down to his knees. He grabbed at the last spot where he'd seen the weapon, and then sighed with relief as he brought it up quickly in Boneys' general direction to keep the Sinomean from trying to take it from him. 

"Stay where you are." John heard the hoarseness in his voice as he spoke, knowing deep down he was too weak to win if Boneys decided to call his bluff.

"Sure, sure, just don't shoot."

"Sheppard! Thank God! Get me out of here!" McKay exclaimed from the back of the transport.

John gestured with the weapon, relieved that the edges of his vision weren't as dark as before. He blinked a couple more times and pushed himself to his feet. The spinning sensation slowed to a manageable level and he took a deep breath, or at least as deep as his damaged ribs would allow.

"Hold on a moment, McKay," he said, looking to Boneys again. "Put your hands down and call for the other guy."

John moved to the opposite side of the transport, waiting for Jerent to appear. "You give us away and you're a dead man."

Boneys stiffened, then nodded. "Hey, Jerent! Get over here! It's time for us to go!"

A twig snapped behind Sheppard just about the time McKay's expression changed from pained to panicked. "Sheppard, behind you!"

John spun around but not fast enough. He felt the blow to his ribs just as he saw Jerent finish the swing. The blow did more than just knock the air from his lungs. Everything went white with fiery pain as he dropped to the ground and struggled hard just to catch a wisp of air to breathe. His vertigo came back with a vengeance and the dizziness turned his stomach inside out. He rolled to one side to throw up, groaning as his arm and ribs screamed in protest, but he found his stomach didn't care much about pain in other areas of his body. A moment later, he lost what little he had eaten that day. 

Jerent joined Boneys as their radios blared to life with screams from the others down the hill. "Matty! Help us, we're being attacked!"

Through his haze of too little air and too much pain, John wondered what had attacked Matty's men, but then their conversations became too animated to follow. The sounds of shouted orders and screams filtered down the hillside. He floated near unconsciousness for a while, but it was Rodney's distraught voice that he latched onto as he came out of the void. 

"Sheppard, are you still alive? Sheppard, answer me! No, groaning does not qualify as an answer. Well, okay, I'll take it as one for the moment. Damn, I thought you were dead. We've got to – "

The Sinomeans chose that particular moment to pick John up from the ground, carrying him by his hands and feet. They hefted him onto the transport like he was a bail of hay, dropping him carelessly onto its unforgiving platform. John didn't bother to try to suppress the groans that followed. That little toss had hurt almost as much as the earlier blast. 

Rodney was still talking, but John couldn't make out the words any longer. He wanted to respond, but found he couldn't speak. Hell, he couldn't even move. And Rodney had been so excited to see that John was still alive. John wished he could be just as excited, but then he decided that, at that particular moment, living seemed to be highly overrated. 

**oOoOoOoOo**


	6. Chapter 6

Elizabeth rubbed at her temple as she concentrated on Dr. Zelenka's status update. She glanced at Lorne, who was also listening hard to the scientist, and she felt a little less lost. At least, she wasn't the only one struggling to keep up.

"Please, Radek, in layman's terms," she interrupted him finally.

Zelenka looked slightly embarrassed. His glasses slid down his nose a little and he pushed them back up so automatically she was sure he didn't even realize he'd done it. The tone in Zelenka's voice was low and grim when he spoke next. "I'm sorry, I've barely had a moment to breathe since this began. You're lucky I wasn't speaking to you in Czech, which apparently I've done quite a few times in the last hour."

He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. "This is bad, very bad. The power distribution crystals for the gate have been compromised, along with several other subsystems. Even if we worked around the clock, I would estimate at least a day, maybe more, to get it all functioning again and even that is no guarantee." 

It wasn't news Elizabeth wanted to hear. A whole day? She wondered if her people would even last that long, but she forced that thought out of her head. She had to believe that John, Rodney, and the others were still alive out there. She wasn't ready to give up on them just yet.

"What about calling in the Daedalus?" Lorne asked, pulling her back to the conversation. The major stood with his left arm pressed lightly against his side in an apparent attempt to keep it from moving. Elizabeth suspected he was supposed to be wearing an arm sling, but wasn't.

She shook her head in reply. "They're down for maintenance work on Earth for at least more two weeks."

"Damn. There's got to be a faster way," Lorne said as he paced a bit.

Zelenka looked a bit pained. "We are working as fast as we can."

Lorne's expression shifted. "No, oh God, no, I wasn't blaming you... it's just that they were in a bad way when we left. I – I shouldn't have left them. I should have handed that kid off to McMurphy and – "

Elizabeth silenced Lorne with a hand on his arm. "Major, you were shot. You were right to leave Sgt. McMurphy with Dr. McKay and get the last of those children and the other injured through the gate. And this isn't the time for anyone to take on blame that isn't theirs to bear. It's just one of those situations we have to deal with. Right now, we need to find a way to get that gate operational again."

Lorne ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "I'm sorry, you're right, ma'am."

Elizabeth nodded as she saw Teyla approaching with one of the villagers. "Dr. Weir, we must speak with you." 

"Okay, we can step into my office," she started.

Teyla shook her head. "I believe Dr. Zelenka should hear this, too."

Radek looked up from his computer screen with a questioning glance. 

Elizabeth tried not to sound curt as she said, "He's a very busy man at the moment."

"Yes, but it is important." She looked at the slightly stooped gray-headed man with her and said, "I was in the mess hall with the children when Elder Wealy of the village council came up to me. He said he knows what attacked our party, both on Jaxndaxta and here."

She nodded to Wealy. The man was aged and rail thin, but there was an intelligence in his eyes that Elizabeth appreciated. "It is good to finally meet you, Elder Wealy. I've heard many positive things about you in our negotiations. What can you tell me?"

The old man's voice trembled with lingering horror from the day's events. "We are all in grave danger. The Death Claw has awakened."

Elizabeth frowned, the name itself implied things she didn't want to consider. "The Death Claw? What is that exactly?"

The old man took a deep breath, and then stared at the floor for a moment. "Many of my people regard its existence as a mere legend, but I have witnessed its attacks before, though, they were many, many years ago."

He sighed, his emotions visible as he struggled to remain calm. "No one has ever actually seen the Death Claw, because it is impossible to see with the human eye. Something about its life force makes it invisible. It lives in some fashion, so I call it a creature, but it isn't flesh and blood as we know it." 

Elizabeth realized her hands had balled into fists with his initial comments and she forced her fingers open as she waited for him to continue. 

"I know little of its habits, except that it carries the power to stun and cause burns, along with the danger of those murderous claws. I remember an attack when I was very young. It was much like what we saw today. There is never any mistaking where the Death Claw has been, because injury and death are always left in its wake."

Elizabeth licked her lips and nodded. "I'm sorry to rush you, but we need specific facts that we can use to capture and contain this thing."

Wealy nodded in return. "Of course, yes, I apologize. The horror of seeing it attack again has slowed my mind. Let me think of specifics." He took another deep breath, seeming unable to get his fill of air. "My father thought the Death Claw went into hibernation for decades at a time, and that was why it wasn't seen more often. The old stories of my people said it lives off the minerals surrounding the Benji crystals, drawing strength from the crystals themselves, but I don't know how. Maybe that's why my grandfather used to say the Death Claw did not eat living matter, but I can't verify that, either."

He struggled for a moment, searching for words. "There is a scent that warns you of its presence a moment before it attacks. I caught a whiff of it both times today. It is the same odor you smell before it rains or lightning strikes."

Zelenka looked at him and then to Elizabeth. "Ozone?"

"Maybe." She shrugged and gestured for the man to continue. 

"Our people also called the Death Claw by the name Madj. It is said to live underground to be close to the crystals, and that it haunts the mines. There was a great explosion there when I was five, and many died, so the mines were closed off after that. I have not heard of the Death Claw attacking since then."

Teyla looked at him in confusion. "But we were not at the mines when it attacked our people."

"I am only relaying the things I have heard. Perhaps, that barrage of grenades the Sinomeans unleashed to shoot down your flying vessel, and at those of you on the ground, opened a section of the mine for the Death Claw to escape." 

He took another deep breath and trapped Elizabeth's gaze with an intensity she wished she hadn't seen. "And it always travels in pairs."

Elizabeth's breath caught with that announcement and she glanced at Lorne, whose eyes widened. His voice cracked with anger as he asked, "You mean – you mean, we might have two of those things in our city?"

Wealy nodded sadly. 

Elizabeth swallowed and said, "One of them is bad enough, let alone two." 

Her gaze darted away as she sighed, and then she met his gaze. "But it's very important that we are aware of the possibility. Thank you."

Teyla put a hand on his shoulder. "We should leave them alone to work now, Elder Wealy."

Elizabeth stopped her. "I do have one more question. What do you know of the Sinomean raiders?"

The old man's expression turned dark. "They are thieves that come in the dead of night, stealing from the land, always leaving it a barren wasteland. They make slaves of young and old alike. They needed someone to keep an eye on the children. As an elder, I was chosen, along with some of the other members of our village. We were to keep the children... quiet."

Elizabeth didn't think it was possible but the old man's expression turned darker still. "These thieves live without honor, using our children and grandchildren against us, holding them hostage to make the others work from dawn until dusk. They gave us very little food and water, just enough to keep us going."

"So, they were mining the Benji crystals?"

He nodded. "And other precious metals. But it is the Benji crystals that are the rarest and most valued among their kind. They add insult by not mining in the way of our ancestors. The process the Sinomeans use strips the soil from the crystals, exposing them very quickly and easily, but it also destroys the land." 

He rubbed a hand over his face. "The crystals were sold in trade by my people until that terrible explosion, the one that destroyed nearly half of the mine's tunnel system. The mine inside the mountain has been closed ever since. Our people never have had a need for things like power crystals, choosing instead to live by the old ways. The Benji crystals no longer held any appeal for us to continue to mine for them, especially after so many needless deaths, so we focused our attention on our crops instead."

He stopped and wrung his hands. "I worry for the rest of my people, all those who are still their slaves."

Elizabeth nodded and touched his arm. "They might be slaves for the moment, but once we open the gate again, we can send in armed forces that will put an end to the raiders' operations."

"Only if you get there in time, Doctor Weir. I heard some of the raiders talking when they took us out of the mine to kill us. They said the crystals were getting harder to extract and that they would be moving on in a day or two. When the time comes for them to leave, they will kill everyone. They always do. It is the way of the Sinomeans."

Elizabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek. The news she'd heard certainly didn't do anything to ease her concerns. If anything, it added a greater sense of urgency to an already serious situation. "I promise you, we will do our best to get there before it is too late."

Wealy nodded, but then looked up suddenly. "I just remembered something else. It is said the Death Claw grows more dangerous the longer it stays away from the Benji crystals."

"More dangerous?" Zelenka asked, stepping closer. "What do you mean by that?"

Wealy shrugged slightly. "It was just something my grandfather used to say. I'm sorry, mine are the distant memories of an old man, things nearly forgotten over the decades of time."

Zelenka frowned as Elizabeth touched Wealy's shoulder. "Thank you for the information."

Teyla led the old man from the control room, leaving Elizabeth, Lorne and Zelenka standing in awkward silence. It was only after Radek was called away that Elizabeth and Lorne got back to work, leaving the thoughts of death far behind them. If they were to succeed, they had to focus on the living, and that meant getting everyone back home safe and sound.

**oOoOoOoOo**

John groaned, rolling to one side as he curled up against the pain pounding his brain and body. Bile rose in his throat and he had to swallow hard to force it back down again.

"You okay, Sheppard?" Ronon asked when he was quiet again.

John rocked gently, trying to get a handle on his discomfort. "Geez..." he muttered as he rolled onto his back again and cursed under his breath.

"Sheppard, can you hear me?"

He felt Ronon shake his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He didn't answer for a long moment. All his attention seemed focused on just being able to breathe. "Depends on what you call okay," he said finally through gritted teeth. 

He shifted the wrong way, and fiery pain raced from his ribs to his arm and his head, and back around again, stealing away what little breath he'd just managed to gain. He tried to ride it out using shallow breaths, but even that was pushing it. There was a gentle nudge at his shoulder. 

"Sheppard?" 

Taking a slow, deliberate breath, he said, "Yeah, I'm here," but then paused as another whimper slipped from his lips. He swallowed weakly. "At least, I think I'm all here." 

His hands were still bound with handcuffs, so he gestured with shaky fingers as he spoke, "Just give me a second."

"No rush, we're not going anywhere," Ronon said with a sigh. "It's just you've been carrying on like that for the past few hours, so I wasn't sure if you were really with us this time or not."

John peeked open one eye. "Past few hours?"

"Yeah, four or five, maybe more."

As far as he could see in the flickering torchlight, they were back inside the mine in a large open cavern, but there was no way to properly gauge the passage of time. If he'd been out that long, then it had to be the early evening. 

He went to rise up on one elbow to look around and stopped before he got much further than raising his head. This time, it was more because of his arm than his ribs. The dressing on the wound was crusted with dried blood and dirt.

As soon as he moved the arm, there was a sharp pain, and he felt a new warmth spread as it began to bleed again. Suppressing a groan, he decided he wasn't going to make it to his feet that way. Instead, he rolled to one side, and then to his knees, tucking his wounded arm clutched close to his sore ribs, and pushed up from there. Luckily, the wall was beside him or he probably would have toppled right over.

"Whoa, Sheppard, I don't think it's a good idea to be moving around like that," Ronon cautioned, just out of reach.

After lying on the cold, hard ground for hours, John would have been stiff anyway, but since he was covered with cuts, bruises, and contusions, he moved with the slowness of the very aged. To take Ronon's gaze off him, he cleared his throat and asked, "How about you? How did you fare the explosion?" 

He leaned back against the wall while waiting for Ronon's reply, rubbing his arm. It ached as if Conteale herself was standing right beside him, twisting her knife into his wound. He put a hand over the cut and was surprised to feel heat there, the type of heat that came with infection. He frowned. That had happened fast. Way too fast. The room shifted on him, so he slid down until he was sitting again. That was when he got his first real glimpse of Ronon. Ronon looked like he felt even worse than John did, but the man simply shrugged, but then he flinched, holding his shoulder. 

"Got banged up some more, but otherwise..."

John nodded. "Yeah, I hear you. Feel the same way."

He squinted in the darkness and made out a few more bodies lying in the shadows of the makeshift cell. "McKay?" he called out.

Nobody moved. Ronon said, "I think he's just sleeping. He busted his arm, but he seems okay other than that. Well, you know, as okay as McKay ever gets...especially when he's hurt. And a prisoner on top of everything else. On second thought, I guess he's not doing very well."

"What about the others? Where's McMurphy?"

"Here, sir," McMurphy replied, his voice graveled as he sat up, holding his head as he moved slowly.

John turned in his direction. "Sergeant, good to see you awake. Are you okay?"

The sergeant smiled grimly. "Yeah, better than the rest of my team."

John straightened, once again angry at Conteale and her raiders. "How many did we lose at the gate?"

The Marine's jaw went tight as he said, "Three men that I know about, Harris and – " 

He stopped and started again, his blue eyes looking downward. "Jacobson and Costa were also killed somewhere between the attack on the kids at the gate and the bomb explosion. Erdman was hurt pretty badly, but he was carried out with the last group that went through the gate. No way to know if he survived or not."

John felt for him. McMurphy had lost his team in the attack. John didn't even want to consider how he'd feel if he ever lost even one of his team members. That would take him to a cold, dark place, one that would freeze his world solid. 

He cleared his throat and said, "Think positive. Erdman's a tough kid. He'll hang in there." He paused, frowning hard. "I'm sorry the others didn't make it. They were good men. These Sinomeans will never kill again if I have anything to say about it."

They all fell silent for a moment, then Ronon spoke up, "The payload on that bomb they dropped wasn't very heavy. Otherwise, we'd all be dead. Had to be more stun than anything else."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too." John looked around, rubbing his forehead. "You two come up with any way to get out of here yet?"

McMurphy grunted. "I just woke up myself, so I don't know anything, sir."

John looked over at Ronon who let out a disappointed sigh. "Nope, all of us were already in here when I woke up, so I don't know much more about the layout of this place than you do, other than it's pretty old judging by the timber."

John moved the wrong way and groaned. He bit his lip to keep another one from escaping. He leaned his head back against the wall and said, "The gate got hit pretty bad by that bomb. The DHD was damaged. Something else must be wrong, though, for Atlantis not to have shown up by now."

Ronon and McMurphy nodded in silent agreement. John scratched at an irritation at the back of his neck and found something that felt like a thick bandage, about two inches by two inches. "What's this?" he asked.

"Don't know," Ronon replied, "I can think of a few possibilities, but whatever it is, I don't think it's a good thing."

John glanced over to the entrance of the cavern at the three guards on duty. There were a few torches near the entrance and John used the flickering light to evaluate their situation. Though the guards were heavily armed, the security seemed lax. Between the three of them, they could easily take down them down. 

Still considering their options, John looked back at Ronon. "How long have we been here?"

Ronon shrugged again, and then winced. He looked irritated at himself for making the same mistake twice. "No way to know for sure. I figure I've been awake for about seven hours."

John noticed that his tactical vest had been removed. 

Ronon nodded. "They took anything that might even look like a weapon."

John frowned. For some reason, he felt better wearing his flak jacket around Conteale, even without any weapons. Then he looked up, meeting Ronon's gaze. "Did they take everything from you?"

Ronon gave him half a smile. "Not everything."

John nodded. "Might be important at the right moment." 

He glanced around them again. "See anybody else come by?"

"Just them." Ronon said, pointing deeper into the shadows.

John stared and then straightened. The dim lighting that seemed to radiate from the walls of the cavern added to the light from the torches, and he could make out many bodies lying on the ground. Fifty or sixty people, men and women alike, were spread out around the cavern. It had to be the missing villagers.

Ronon continued, "Looks like they are all here. I was talking to a few of them until the guards made them move away from us to sleep. That's why they are all on the other side of the cavern now."

"Well, things are looking up. At least we don't have to go looking for them when we're ready to escape," John said with a sarcastic smile. 

Ronon chuckled, but didn't say any more. John took a guarded breath and slowly started to twist, just to see how much mobility he had between the arm wound and the ribs, and discovered it wasn't much. Only with a bottle of aspirin, some food, and lots of water, would he get into some semblance of a fighting form again, and that was a very big maybe. 

John chewed on his lower lip, glancing again to the entrance to the cavern. "Doesn't seem like they've got enough men guarding us."

Ronon glanced over and nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that and this Captain Conteale seems too sharp to give us the chance to escape like that. Something's not right."

John let out a slow breath. "Well, if she's screwed up, we need to be ready to take advantage of it when we can."

He settled against the wall again. "Tell me more about the Sinomeans," he asked, wanting to know as much as he could get about their captors.

"They sweep in on a low tech planet, round up the natives, force them to work like slaves, and then kill them off before they leave with a cargo bay full of packaged ore and raw metals. I've been to planets right after they've left and it wasn't pretty."

John closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "Conteale's probably mad as hell that we got away and made her look bad. I don't think she's going to be greeting us with open arms."

McMurphy grunted. "Not us, but maybe McKay."

The three of them went silent as they thought about Rodney's future. As if on cue, McKay gasped and groaned loudly. 

"McKay?" John called out.

"He's dead. Call back tomorrow," came the slurred reply.

"Come on, McKay, look alive."

A lot of cursing, moaning, and deep gasps came from Rodney's direction, but he finally sat up. John noticed McKay's pale skin tone the moment Rodney leaned out of the shadows, making him wonder if Rodney suffered from more than just a broken arm. John felt a rush of anger when he saw McKay was handcuffed like the rest of them. Apparently, broken bones held little weight with the Sinomeans. 

Thankfully, when McKay spoke, he sounded like his old self as words tumbled out of his mouth in their usual rush, "Will you look at my arm? I'll probably lose the use of my hand because it wasn't set properly from the start. I swear, Sheppard, I'm never ever going on another mission with you as long as I live."

John gave McKay a quick, apologetic smile. "The next one will be better, I promise."

"Yeah, right." The scientist hugged his arm closer to him and took a hard look at McMurphy, Ronon, then at John. "You know, I've sat beside better looking corpses before. The least all of you could do is stay healthy enough to rescue me from situations like this. I mean, who can I depend on now?" Rodney grumbled. 

John licked his lips. "How bad is the arm?"

McKay glanced down, shaking his head. "Bad enough."

McKay's gaze swept over them again. "It's a good thing you've made me accustomed to seeing you blood splattered and injured, because if I was the least bit squeamish, I'd be barfing long about now." Rodney swallowed hard as if realizing the honesty in his words only after he'd said them.

John rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad."

"You aren't the one being forced to stare at the obvious truth." McKay leaned his head back against the wall and pulled his arm closer to his chest. He froze when the sound of voices and footsteps echoed down the corridor, making the guards turn and look that way. 

"Looks like we're about to have company," John said. 

McKay started to hyperventilate. "Oh God, Conteale's going to skin us from head to toe with that obscene knife of hers. I don't do pain well, you know," he said as if he was revealing some new secret.

John extended a hand in McKay's direction, keeping his voice low and calm. "Don't panic yet, McKay. We'll find a way out of this."

"Well, you better find it pretty damned fast, because from where I'm sitting, it looks like we're blued, screwed, and tattooed." 

"McKay," John started.

Rodney didn't seem to hear him. Instead, he nodded in agreement with himself, and then went on, working himself into quite a state. "Oh yeah, I forgot. I might just live long enough to become her little stud muffin before she kills me!" 

"Listen, Rodney," John tried again, but McKay was on a roll.

"I can only imagine the sick things she will want me to do or how much pain she will cause me to get it – "

John closed his eyes, trying to think of something that would pacify his friend. Finally, he just shouted, "Rodney!"

The abrupt anger in John's voice caused McKay to stop and look at him. John lowered his voice as he said, "Breathe. You've got to remember to breathe."

John took a breath himself and tried not to show how much he hurt from the effort. McKay had to believe they still had a chance or he'd never make it. He lowered his voice as he added, "Remember to breathe and to think. If we use our heads, we'll find a way out of this. Breathe and think. Those two things will get us out of here alive." 

John thought his advice sounded pretty lame, but Rodney latched on to his words like a lifeline. "Breathe and think." He took a slow deep breath and repeated himself. "Breathe and think. I – I might be able to do that."

"No, you can do it," John said as he made sure he had McKay's gaze.

The footsteps got louder and he added, "We will find a way out of this mess. We just have to use our heads."

McKay nodded, but there was a desperation to it that made John suspect he was losing control again. McKay surprised John when he spoke, sounding a little stronger instead of more panicked. "Think and breathe. Breathe and think," he whispered to himself.

"Good job," John said as he looked to the barricade imprisoning them. "Keep it up."

It was good advice, if only McKay would follow it. John braced himself when the footsteps stopped outside the cavern's entrance. 

A moment later, the men entered and looked in their direction. John recognized Matty as the leader of the group when the man stepped into the light of the torches, especially the blossoming bruise on the side of his head where John had hit him.

They stopped in front of them and John smiled halfheartedly as he said, "Uh, hi there, I sure hope you guys don't hold grudges."

The hard, bitter glare that came in response didn't bode well. Matty only gestured with his fingers for them to stand, a feat much easier said than done. Unfortunately, John had a feeling the fun was only just starting.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	7. Chapter 7

Carson Beckett came out of the Atlantis surgical suite. He dried his hands on a clean towel as he looked around for Elizabeth. He smiled briefly when he found her and draped the towel around the back of his neck while he waited for her to approach. 

A quick shower had helped to rejuvenate him. He wasn't sure how many hours he'd just spent in surgery, moving from one patient to the next until the worst cases had been dealt with, but it had felt like a bloody eternity.  
  
He straightened a little when Elizabeth came to a stop in front of him. "You look tired, Carson," she said.

"Aye, luv, I wish I could say the worst of it has passed, but I'd be lying."

"Can you give me a quick update?"

He nodded. "You aren't going to like it."

One of his nurses came out with two cups of coffee as they went into his office. Carson sat on the edge of his desk and sipped on his coffee while Elizabeth leaned her back against the wall. 

He cleared his throat and said, "I've got nearly twenty patients here in the infirmary, squeezed in like canned sardines, some of them barely holding on. We've taken over a couple of the nearby rooms to handle the less injured patients. I'm afraid to say we lost a dozen souls when that murderous banshee ripped through the crowd in the gate room, between the children and our staff. Lori has a list of names, but I'm sure you've already heard that."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I heard. I also heard you worked hard to revive the ones who were still alive after the attack."

Carson grunted. "Not hard enough, it seems, as some of them still died."

He put up a hand when Elizabeth started to react and shook his head. "No need to say it, lass. I know it's not because I didn't try, but it still hurts to lose any individuals, especially the wee ones."

"Then, let's talk about the living," she said with a firm set of her jaw. She held the warm cup in her hands, but he noticed she didn't drink from it.

He nodded and set down his own cup. "As I said before, we are filled to capacity. I've patched up what I can, but I have several on the critical list and still more under observation."

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "How do you think the children are doing?"

Carson felt a wave of deep sadness sweep over him and his gaze dropped down. "I've had to sedate more than a few of them. Others are almost catatonic. These wee ones will need a lot of love and guidance in the days and weeks to come. The situation's been made even worse by the fact they don't have their parents with them."

She nodded and moved away from the wall. "I stopped by the mess hall before I came here." She frowned, lines of worry etched upon her tired features. "It was very quiet. I expected noise, you know, the usual chaos of children, even panicked children, but there was mostly silence."

"Children should never know death firsthand. It's enough to break your heart. I'll check on them again once I've touched base with my patients here."

"I've already got Heightmeier and anyone who's had basic psych training to work with them. We are giving the best care we can," Elizabeth said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Do you have any more word of what it was that attacked? Better news would be that you've got it captured or dead. I'd hate to think of that beastie still roaming loose." 

She rubbed at her temple and shook her head. "That's the problem. We haven't even been able to locate its general location."

Zelenka's voice came over their headsets, causing both of them to jump. "Doctor Weir, may I see you in the control room?"

She tapped her radio. "Yes, Radek, I'll be there in a minute."

Elizabeth caught Carson's gaze as he nodded. "Radek must have some news."

Carson stood. "Go on, do what you need to do."

She smiled as she left, but he knew her heart wasn't in it. No doubt she'd left that back in the mess hall with the silent children and in the infirmary with those still suffering from injury. Still, he hoped whatever was left inside of her would be enough to deal with Zelenka's latest report.

**oOoOoOoOo**

There was a quiet procession down the corridors of Conteale's large spaceship with Sheppard, Ronon, Rodney, and McMurphy escorted by an assortment of guards. One guard led the way while two more followed them at the rear. They were on their way to Conteale's office. Rodney tried to walk without jarring his arm, but it wasn't easy. The thing throbbed so badly, he felt it pounding all the way up to his eyeballs. 

And he felt a sick sensation crawling up his throat, like his breakfast was going to come back up, but it had been so long since he'd eaten, there was nothing left except overflowing stomach acid. He glanced over at McMurphy walking beside him. Sheppard and Ronon were just ahead of them. Out of everyone, McMurphy had fared the best of the group, but even he looked nearly done in. 

The sergeant gave McKay a grim nod and Rodney responded with one of his own, but then Sheppard stumbled and nearly fell face first into a wall. Only because Ronon was there beside him, helping to steady him did he escape without additional trauma. 

Rodney worried about Sheppard. He looked bad. He'd lost a lot of blood and his skin was so pale, he could pass for a ghost in training. Then there was Ronon and his bleeding shoulder wound. The sight of all that blood made Rodney's nausea ratchet up a few more notches. He could really do with a handful of antacid tablets and a good meal, but that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. 

One more glance at Sheppard and Ronon made Rodney's problems seem pretty petty. Perspective. He had to keep things in the proper perspective and focus on the big picture. If they were to survive, somebody had to be thinking that way and his friends weren't exactly in great shape to do that. After all, Rodney only had a broken arm. Even so, Ronon and Sheppard were still moving with more grace than he ever had. Well, at least Ronon was. Sheppard was beginning to stumble again. 

Rodney took a deep breath, and then hissed when he bumped his arm against the wall. All his desire for the right perspective flew out the window. The truth was he felt like crap. He started worrying a little more about himself. The fact was the closer they got to Conteale's office, the faster and more erratic his breathing became. He knew what was waiting for him at the end of this pleasure stroll: one seriously pissed off witch of a woman. Life as he had known it was about to come to a terrible end.

Sheppard must have noticed the change in Rodney, because he slowed down long enough to whisper, "We'll get out of this, McKay. Remember – "

"Right. Breathe and think. Think and breathe." Rodney repeated the words like a mantra and it did help, right up to the moment he saw Conteale step out of her office at the far end of the corridor. She smiled cruelly, waving for them to proceed, and Rodney nearly lost it right then. 

Sheppard's gait had been steadily worsening and he fell back into Matty and Goddett walking behind them. There was an awkward movement of hands and bodies, but in the next instant, Sheppard had Goddett's weapon pointed at Matty's temple. Ronon made his own move and reached forward, wrapping his handcuffs around Jerent's throat in a choke hold. 

Sheppard took a pained breath and looked to Goddett, the least intimidating of their three hostages and said, "Remove these cuffs and I'll let you live."

Rodney was sorely aware of S'moa's slow but steady transit down the hallway toward them, her darkly graceful swaying hips trying to seduce him even then. She had her gun drawn, but it wasn't really leveled at any one of them. In his gut, Rodney knew something was off with her casual demeanor, and it raised more than a couple warning flags. 

Goddett looked to S'moa for direction. Surprisingly, she nodded.

"Him first," Sheppard said, roughly gesturing to Ronon.

Goddett went to unlock Ronon's handcuffs when Conteale fired her blaster, then Rodney felt a spray of something warm hit his face. It took another second for Rodney to realize there had actually been three blasts, all head shots. The first to fall was Goddett, the second was Matty, and last was Jerent. Conteale leveled her weapon at the men from Atlantis next.

Sheppard, McMurphy, and Ronon let their dead hostages fall to the ground, their mouths gaping open as they stared at her in disbelief. S'moa smiled at Rodney, who was stunned by Conteale's actions. The woman didn't give a hint that she'd just murdered three of her own men; in fact she looked much like a school girl flirting with a boy two grades older than her, but Rodney would have nothing of it. 

"What the hell was that?" he exclaimed. With the other guards now dead, she was alone with them, but it didn't seem to intimidate her at all. Bewildered, he gestured towards her with his hands. "Just what the hell was that? You just killed your own men! What the hell were you thinking!"

"I was thinking how stupid this Han Solo was to believe I'd trade all three of you for three of my most worthless men. Now, the matter isn't up for consideration. Solo, toss away your weapon now or I'll shoot your tall comrade dead with my next shot."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Rodney probably would have burst out laughing at the Han Solo reference. Instead, he raised his chin and spoke with an air of superiority. "If you haven't noticed, you're still outgunned here." 

"Yes, Mac-Kay, but it would only take a shot from me to bring one of you down."

She looked directly at Sheppard, "I think that would be one too many for you, Solo, wouldn't it? Are you willing to risk the lives of your men?" She smiled when Sheppard eyed her with defiant contempt. "Who wants to die first?"

Rodney glared at Conteale, and then glanced over at the colonel and his fellow teammates. All three men looked like they were ready for a fight, a fight to the death if need be. He felt a swell of pride rise at the sight of his team's tenacity – albeit a completely unrealistic, almost bordering on a death wish form of tenacity – but he was proud of them just the same. 

These people, along with Weir, Beckett, and Teyla had taught him to never give up, to always keep trying. He'd give up his life for any one of his team, not that he'd share that closely guarded secret with any of them. He was so sure they'd go out swinging that Sheppard shocked him by tossing his weapon to the ground, though his eyes flashed with rebellion. 

"No," Rodney blurted out. He'd just about gotten in the right frame of mind to fight his way out or die, and now Sheppard did this. What was the man thinking? For Pete's sake, didn't John know what S'moa had in store for him if they gave up? 

Sheppard shot Rodney an enigmatic look, one that told Rodney he hadn't given up, but not much more than that. Conteale gestured for them to continue down the hallway to her office. Rodney had a mad impulse to pick up Sheppard's discarded gun from the floor, one so strong that he actually started to reach down with his good hand. Visions of him going down in a hail of glory flashed through his mind. Then he stopped, flexing his empty hand in the empty air. 

It was disappointing to see he didn't actually have the nerve to do the deed. So much for bravery, nobility, and the _'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid method of choosing your own death'_. Their tiny window of opportunity finally slammed shut as three more guards came running. 

McMurphy lashed out when one of them shoved him hard, but the guard struck him between the shoulder blades with the butt of his weapon and the sergeant nearly went down with the blow. Rodney recognized two of the new guards as Kyson and Boneys, and they pushed Sheppard and Ronon to get them moving. Sheppard managed not to cry out when he hit the wall with his wounded arm, but Rodney held his breath when he saw the colonel's pale skin turn another shade of pasty white. 

That was the final straw and Rodney erupted in anger. "He's got some cracked ribs, you idiots! And a concussion! And he's lost a great deal of blood from the slice Captain Cruel put in his arm! Are you listening to me? I said back off!"

Rodney put himself between Sheppard and Kyson, wincing as he pushed the Sinomean away from Sheppard with a hard shove. Rodney gasped from the effort and held his arm close to his chest afterwards. Kyson leveled his weapon at Rodney with murder flashing in his eyes, but S'moa quietly said, "Not him."

So, instead of shooting Rodney, he nudged him toward Conteale with the muzzle of his gun. 

Rodney stepped forward reluctantly, but held his chin out in defiance. "Go ahead and gloat over how you can overpower us. We're only bound with handcuffs, bleeding and injured, but we could beat you all if we really wanted to!"

Sheppard's voice was low and full of warning as he rasped, "McKay, pipe down."

Rodney glanced angrily at Sheppard, but shut his mouth anyway. Two more of her men showed up at the rear of the group and S'moa smiled at Rodney once he reached the doorway to her office. "Come along, Mac-Kay, but save some of that passion for later," she said as she curled her fingers over his cheeks.

Rodney recoiled. "This is really nuts, you know that! You are probably the most whacked woman I've ever met!" 

She smiled from ear to ear as if he'd just paid her some grand compliment, which took the wind out of his sails a bit. He stammered as he took a step away from her, "I really, really wish you wouldn't do that. I'm a very private person and these public displays are – "

In the blink of an eye, she was back at his side again. She whirled around him seductively, brushing her hips and breasts against him as she moved. She was careful of his broken arm as she slid up to kiss him on his cheek. "For later."

Her nails lightly teased his skin, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up as her lips brushed against his cheek. Her touch was colder than he expected, but her skin was soft. With her tough demeanor, Rodney half expected her skin to feel rough and callused. The discovery was surprising, but not encouraging. The less she felt like a woman, the more he could pretend she wasn't. Rodney could have sworn he heard a girlish giggle as she left him to watch the antics of her men. 

McMurphy staggered into the room, nearly dragged in by two guards. It took a couple more men to get Ronon to sit down. Sheppard reacted when he saw Conteale with her hands on an unwilling McKay, his demeanor shifting into one of pure rage. "Leave him alone!"

Boneys and Kyson shoved Sheppard into a chair, but they did it with so much force that the chair toppled over, taking Sheppard down with it. Rodney winced at Sheppard's muffled cry of pain, and then as the two _helped_ him up, one yanked Sheppard's handcuffs to the side, twisting his wounded arm. The end result made John breathe so fast he appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating. 

Somehow, he stayed on his feet, though he swayed beside Conteale's desk. He gave Rodney a guilty look over Conteale's constant fondling, but when John leveled his gaze at her, his hazel eyes were dark and practically brimming with hatred. But then he flinched, pressing one hand against his stomach as he squeezed his eyes closed. Rodney held his breath, afraid that Sheppard was going to pass out. 

If he hadn't been watching Sheppard so closely, he might have missed something new cross the man's expression. From somewhere deep inside, Rodney knew to expect the unexpected. It happened a moment later. Sheppard took hold of the edge of S'moa's desk, anchoring himself with his good arm and whipped up with his feet, as easily as if he was performing one of his complicated skateboard moves. He caught Kyson and Boneys full in the chest as his feet went up and around, knocking them both to the floor, dazed. 

With eyes wide with admiration, Rodney wondered briefly if Sheppard had just been faking all along, but then he shook his head. He knew Sheppard well enough to know when he was in real pain or not. He just didn't know where Sheppard had gotten the sudden burst of strength or how much it would cost him later. 

Sheppard followed them to the ground, landing in a heap beside them, but still with enough sense to grab one of their weapons. Ronon was on the move, too. He reached into his dreadlocks and pulled out two small knives. With lightning fast moves, he caught the two guards rushing into the room in the throat. The men dropped to the ground, grasping their windpipes as they choked on their own blood. 

When Rodney looked back at Ronon, he'd managed to obtain two weapons. Rodney's mouth gaped open as he remembered the two bullet wounds in the Satedan's shoulder. Where there should have been awkwardness from the injury, all that Rodney had seen were graceful moves belying the injury. Ronon tossed one gun to Sgt. McMurphy who was on his feet by then. Everything came to a stop when Ronon aimed the biggest weapon at S'moa.

Rodney wanted to hit his forehead with the palm of his hand when he realized he'd just been standing there the whole time without reacting. That explosion at the gate must have hit him harder than he thought, at least that would explain why he didn't move on Conteale when he had the chance.

"Step away from McKay. Slowly," Ronon growled hoarsely.

She did as he requested, and Rodney didn't waste any time scooting behind Ronon, but he couldn't escape the gleam in Conteale's eyes. It was most disturbing. He stared at her more closely and realized everything about Conteale disturbed him.

S'moa bowed her head slightly, but when her gaze rose up to meet Rodney's, there was nothing submissive in her expression. "You boys are certainly resourceful, I'll give you that, but you lack the ability to look at the big picture. Here, the big picture says no matter what stunts you pull in hopes of escaping, you will always be thwarted by superior forces. You are on my ship, after all. I have the home field advantage. Isn't that right, Han Solo?"

Rodney had forgotten about Sheppard while watching Ronon and Conteale. As he glanced back at him, he saw Sheppard was on his feet and had a weapon, too, though his herculean effort seemed to have nearly drained his energy well dry.

Breathing hard, John said, "The name's Sheppard, by the way, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, I was just playing with you before – "

As he spoke, she touched a button on her wrist and all of the weapons in the room took on a slight glow, causing those holding them to seize up like they'd received a huge electrical shock. When she released it, they dropped to the floor, unconscious. 

Rodney stepped back in shock, bumping into Conteale as she holstered her weapon with a contented sigh. Her arm swept around him, turning him toward her. She placed her hand on his butt and pressed forward until their bodies touched, and then she whispered, "Don't you find power to be a stimulating aphrodisiac?"

He pulled away, stumbling back several steps, his eyes looking to his unconscious comrades and then back to her. "Wh-what did you do to them?"

S'moa purred like a sex kitten. "It's a failsafe device I have on all of my crew's weapons. It comes in handy with those who don't agree with me. You are lucky you did not pick up one of their weapons."

Rodney blinked as he tried to process the information. Failsafe devices? He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He glanced again to his friends sprawled on the floor. Damn, they were all going to die because of Conteale's paranoia and need to control. Trust was pointless when she had with the kind of toys she had in her possession. 

She simply smiled at him, and Rodney became terrified – absolutely, positively terrified – of what was to come. What demeaning names had Sheppard teased him with earlier? Boy Toy, Stud Muffin, Casanova and several more came to mind that Sheppard hadn't mentioned. Now that his worst fear was about to come to pass, Rodney started to panic. 

Then Sheppard's voice echoed in his head. _"Breathe and think. Think and breathe."_

Rodney forced himself to take a deep breath, and then another as Conteale cooed and cawed over him, but he didn't listen to her, mostly because he was the only man who had a chance of saving the rest of the team and the villagers. God, he hated duty and obligation, especially when it fell squarely on his shoulders. He took one look at the lust in Conteale's eyes and knew time was now a very precious commodity.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	8. Chapter 8

Rodney slowly sat up from his bed in the infirmary of S'moa's ship, still in a state of bewilderment. He'd been alert for the last few minutes, watching Conteale's physician tend to his friends, but he still didn't understand why they weren't already dead. His hand grazed over the new cast on his arm. The limb still ached like crazy after being set back into place, a task that had nearly rendered Rodney unconscious, but somehow he'd managed to stay awake to watch over his friends. Somebody had to. Conteale certainly wasn't trustworthy enough for the task.

There were four beds in the small infirmary. Three of them were occupied by Sheppard, Ronon and himself. Rodney glanced at Sheppard's bed directly across from him. The doctor sat on a stool and worked on Sheppard's arm while Conteale watched over his shoulder. 

Their lives had definitely entered the realm of the weird and bizarre. Rodney wiped at the accumulated sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand, and then he took a look around the room. He wasn't Ronon with a thousand knives stashed in his clothes or that huge mop of hair of his, but now he had a cast and an arm sling. He might be able to hide something there, something that might be useful later on. 

He thought about that as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. His gaze roamed until it settled on a small handheld diagnostic device similar to what Beckett used in their own infirmary. It was about the size of a life signs detector and it lay next to the casting material on a table beside his bed. 

Its complicated circuitry might prove useful in other applications and it was small enough to tuck into his arm sling without being noticed. He'd have to find a few more items to complete the project, but at least it was a start. 

He slipped the device into his sling, watching carefully to make sure no one noticed, and then breathed a soft sigh of relief when he was done. Out of the blue, Ronon groaned, wincing when he shifted the wrong way before falling unconscious again. Rodney shoved himself off the bed and onto his feet to move closer to Ronon in the next bed over.

Rodney's world spun for a moment before settling down. After the vertigo passed, he stood there and stared at Ronon. _I guess even Conan gets knocked down from time to time, but why did it have to happen now when I need him the most?_

Rodney reached over and patted Ronon on the leg, but the gesture seemed awkward, mostly because Rodney wasn't Mother Teresa and didn't do the comforting thing very well at all. When he glanced back to the others, he caught a glimpse of the bandages the doctor had just cut away from Sheppard's arm and his stomach lurched in response. 

Looking from the bandages to Sheppard didn't help either, because the doctor was in the process of cleaning his arm wound. John didn't move as the doctor worked deep into the cut and Rodney knew he had to be very unconscious not to react at all. Rodney might not have known much about medicine, but he knew enough to know that infection shouldn't be setting in already. The wound was red, angry and swollen, and the sight of it made Rodney feel more than a little lightheaded and nauseated. He gulped to push back rising bile and took a deep breath.

The doctor moved the tray with the bloodied bandages to sit on the empty bed beside him, and then went to stitch up the wound. Rodney turned away, deciding he could do without that visual, but his gaze stopped at the tray again. There was a pair of discarded scissors lying forgotten amidst the discarded bandages. He took a step closer to the tray. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Conteale turned, focusing her full attention on him. 

"Mac-Kay, you are back with us again. This is good. I was growing concerned for you."

Rodney managed a weak smile in greeting, but his gaze must have lingered too long on the scissors, because S'moa reached over and picked up them up, waving them in his direction. "Were you thinking of taking these?"

He shook his head in adamant denial. "No, not at all."

She smiled and its chill reached Rodney's heart and took root. "You do not lie well, Mac-Kay. Normally, I would kill you for that, but there is just something about you that is so erotic."

His eyes darted around the room before settling his gaze back on her, but he wasn't ready to address her comment yet, so he asked, "Why are you doing this?" 

He gestured toward Ronon, Sheppard and the doctor with his good hand. "This doesn't make any sense, considering the fact you were ready to kill them earlier."

The smile Conteale gave him was surely the type serial killers used before murdering their victims in vile and horrible ways. "You don't understand? Why, I am making them stronger, so that I may punish them further."

Rodney blinked several times, trying to keep his emotions under control. "That is so very sick," he said finally, unable to mask his disgust. 

"Thank you, Mac-Kay," she said as she brushed a fingernail below his ear, and then tugged on his earlobe.

He was tired, hungry and hurting, and he had little patience for her antics as he straightened and pointed a finger at her. "Listen, I think we need to make some ground rules before things get out of hand here."

Her smile only deepened. "And what ground rules would those be?"

He wilted a little under the cruel glint in her eyes. "That – uh, we go slow – it's been a while since I've had a... " He gulped. "A girlfriend."

She chuckled. "As you wish, Mac-Kay, but know that I will have you."

Rodney could almost hear the unspoken _'one way or another'_ hanging in the air and suddenly he was unable to gulp. Nothing would go up or down as his heart pounded at a ridiculous rate. "Can't you just beat me up a little like you did to my friends instead?"

Her laughter grew. "Trust me. You will much prefer my treatment over that of what I will do to your friends."

She patted him on the chest and turned toward the doctor, going to his side as he examined his completed handiwork on Sheppard's arm. "Well, what do you have to tell me?"

The older man rose from his bent position and shook his head. "This one is badly injured. It will take much to make him whole again."

S'moa clucked her tongue. "I don't want him whole. I just want him well enough to work the mines for the next few days before we leave this wretched planet, and then I will kill him, if his injuries haven't done him in by then."

There was a look of disdain in the doctor's eyes before he tempered it. "I can treat his wounds enough for him to go into the mines in the morning, but I have no promises as to how long he will last. What's more, I will need to use the antitoxin on him if you want him to survive the next few days."

Rodney's head popped up with the doctor's comment. "Antitoxin?" 

He looked to Conteale, his voice confused and angry as he asked, "Why?"

S'moa's expression was like a child revealing a huge secret – an evil, demented child with serious control issues, but a child nonetheless. "My knife was dipped in a slow acting poison. You see your friend will die one way or another by my hand."

"Why you – " Rodney lunged at her, but she merely pulled her weapon, aiming its muzzle directly at his head. 

"Do not make me kill you, Mac-Kay. That would make me very, very sad."

Rodney's eyes bulged, his hands stretched outward and his body quaked with unspent rage. He opened his mouth to speak but all he could do was stammer incoherent sounds. He took a deep breath, and then spoke as slowly as he could, "Will the antitoxin reverse the effects of the poison?"

"Yes, if I allowed him to have the full dose. "

Rodney's gaze swept over her face, looking for some shred of humanity. When he found none, his shoulders slumped. "But you won't."

"No, it is not according to my plan. Now, I require your silence." She turned back to the doctor who had watched the exchange with interest. "Half the dose, no more."

The doctor frowned. "He is ill with infection, too, and has other injuries – half the dose might not be enough to do as you wish."

Conteale chewed on her lower lip. "Okay, increase the dose a little, but no more than three quarters. I want him to suffer."

The physician's head bowed slightly and he muttered, "He will suffer, Captain, no matter how much of the antitoxin he is given."

"Good enough. What about this one?" She gestured toward Ronon who was still unconscious.

"Though he too has injuries, his system is not fighting infection or poison. He is much stronger than the other one. He will be ready to work the mines as you wish."

S'moa took a deep breath as her gaze swept over her prisoners again. "Excellent. Continue to have good news for me and there will be compensation for your efforts," she said.

Looking back at Rodney, she asked, "And this one's arm will heal properly?"

The doctor nodded, though he seemed to tire of Conteale's questions. Rodney let out a little breath with the doctor's assurance, one he didn't know he'd been holding. 

Conteale frowned and took a step closer to him. Rodney was sure she had somehow detected the scanning device inside his arm sling, but he was relieved when she asked, "Why haven't your people come for you? You must be valuable to them."

His relief was short-lived. He sneered. He was still digesting the information about Sheppard's poisoning and didn't bother to hide his reaction. "Not really."

"There you go lying again, my darling." She took a deep breath, her brow still furrowed in thought. "I think something has happened to them or they've given you all up for dead. No matter, I have a detail guarding the gate at all times. I will know if anyone comes or goes through it and will be ready for them. This is no small ship and my crew number many."

Then she smiled. "Whatever their reason for abandoning you, you are mine to do with as I wish. Now, come with me. I have some equipment I wish for you to fix."

"How do you know I can do that?" he sputtered with irritation.

She smiled smugly and Rodney pursed his lips together. He was really starting to hate that smile of hers. 

She said, "Did you forget so quickly? After the doctor set your arm, you mumbled in your half-conscious state, saying several times that you could fix anything and that you would get everyone out of here safely."

Rodney licked his lips. He must have been more out of it than he thought, because he didn't remember saying anything like that. She stepped closer, making him back up. "So brave of you to think that way. And so stupid too. If you attempt anything like that, I might be forced to hurt you and I would dearly hate to do that before I'm ready." 

She reached into a pocket and pulled something from it. Before Rodney knew what was happening, she slapped a bracelet around the wrist of his good hand. "This will help you behave yourself, so I won't need to pull my weapon on you again."

"What is it?" he asked in a panic, knowing deep down that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"A control bracelet. When I press this button... "

Rodney almost went to his knees in a sudden flood of pain. She caught him and the pain stopped, but it left him bent at the waist with his hand held close to his stomach. As he panted, trying to recover, she leaned closer. "Most effective, don't you agree?"

He nodded, still unable to straighten. She reached over and kissed him on one cheek, and then pulled him toward the door. He stumbled helplessly behind her.

"You do something you shouldn't, you go somewhere you shouldn't go, and I will use this again, only longer next time. I have my ways of keeping track of you. Do you understand?"

He gulped more air and nodded, glancing back to make sure Ronon and Sheppard were still okay as she continued, "In the meantime, I have other matters for you to attend to."

Her sickening smile was back in place again. Rodney had come to regard it with great disdain. "Don't worry about them," she said, "The doctor here will take excellent care of them. He has to. There's a discussion I wish to have with Colonel Sheppard. I want them conscious before I send them outside to the crystal packaging operation."

She paused, looking at him with a discerning eye. "I know you must be very hungry. Come, I will feed you."

Rodney almost whimpered at the choices before him. He didn't want to leave Ronon and Sheppard, but Conteale was right. They would be okay, at least for the moment. And he was so damned hungry, he was about ready to gnaw on a knuckle or pass out. Yes, food would be a good thing. With food in his system, he'd be much more likely to find a way to save the day. 

He sighed. While he had proved himself to be a hero in the past, that was with computers and machines he could easily master. He wasn't so sure what he could do here with Conteale watching his every move, or especially now with this damn bracelet on his wrist. Besides, the physical stuff was more of Ronon or Sheppard's forte. Rodney could work miracles with his mind, but if the fate of his friends depended on his physical prowess, especially with a broken arm, then they were all lost.

He merely sighed again, deeper this time, as he followed her out of the room.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Elizabeth entered the conference room, just behind Teyla and Lorne. Radek was already there, pacing nervously as he waited. All of them looked on edge, but Radek's expression was the darkest, as if he had some secret to impart that no one would want to hear. When she gestured for him to speak, there was a hesitant frown, instead of his usual flash of intelligent politeness. She stepped closer. "What is it, Radek?"

The Czech took a deep breath and turned to his computer, as if he was more comfortable looking at it than at the rest of them. He pressed a series of keys and the screen behind him lit up. He turned, glancing at Elizabeth. "I can't be sure – I have people working on it as we speak – but I think that strange power surge that came across the gate may have compromised our containment protocols."

Lorne stiffened, his reaction strong. "You mean _more_ of the city might be in danger from that – creature?"

Radek nodded. Elizabeth exhaled slowly, trying to digest the full ramifications of what Radek had just said. Lorne rubbed a hand over his face in frustration.

"To what extent?" Elizabeth asked in a quiet voice.

Radek shook his head. "We are still trying to ascertain the full extent, but it has affected some of our primary systems. I believe you should make a citywide announcement for everyone to stay put until we have a better picture of our situation."

Elizabeth didn't move for a moment as she considered his words. She nodded and stepped out into the control room. "I need an open channel to the city."

After a moment, the technician nodded. Elizabeth took a step away and spoke, "This is Dr. Weir. We may have had our containment protocols breached, so I am asking all of you to stay where you are for now. This is for your own safety. Hopefully, it is a temporary situation. I will notify you when I have more information. Thank you."

When she returned to the conference room, she asked Radek, "How are you coming along with tracking this creature... " she paused to correct herself, then continued, "Or perhaps creatures?"

Radek sighed. "Not very well."

Teyla asked, "Can you not use the life signs detectors?" 

Radek shook his head. "They are proving ineffective. The creature has some type of electrical interference field around it. I can't keep a lock on it."

Lorne sat in a chair next to Radek's computer and leaned forward. "But what if all you searched for was that type of electrical interference, wouldn't that narrow down the search some?" 

Radek scratched at the back of his neck. "It's too vague of a parameter to search for."

He tapped his fingers on the top of the desk as his gaze went distant again. "But now that I think about it, the energy signature of the power surge that hit the gate was rather unique. I've never seen anything like it before. Powerful, but very unstable."

Elizabeth stepped closer. "Elder Wealy said the Death Claw... " she paused, "I hate using that term. The – the Madj, lived in close contact to the power crystals, the Benji crystals. Could there be some type of correlation there?"

Radek looked at her and light dawned in his expressive eyes. "It might. I already have my people searching the Ancient database for information on the Benji crystals, but so far there are only vague references. A lot of the text must still be deciphered and the translation program is running very slow."

He took a deep breath. "Maybe, once I filter out all the other possible sources for electrical interference like the naquadah generators and such, we can get a better read on it and use that unique power signature to our advantage. It might work – if – they are in fact related, otherwise we'll be wasting time on nothing."

Elizabeth nodded. "It's all we have for the moment, so get on it. But we also need to remember our other priority, and that is the stargate."

Radek let out a deep breath. "Believe me, I want nothing more than for the stargate to work and to have our people back with us again, but there are some major repairs that need to be done before that can happen."

Elizabeth made an effort to meet Radek's gaze and smiled. "If anyone can do it, you can."

He made a self-deprecating noise, almost like a clucking sound. His voice was low as he said, "We need McKay here for this. He would grab hold of this problem and have it solved in the same time it would take him to eat a blueberry muffin.

She touched his arm. "You can do this, just as you have always come through for us."

He nodded and blushed a bit, and then made a show of adjusting his glasses. "We are giving it our best shot, but I need to get back to work."

Elizabeth nodded and Radek left without another word. 

Lorne paced for a moment. "Why can't we ever have just one problem to deal with at a time?" he muttered. "It always seems like everything hits the fan all at once." 

Elizabeth closed her eyes, rubbing at her temple. "It does seem that way, Major, but for some reason, I have a feeling more is _going to hit the fan_ before all is said and done."

She turned to Teyla. "Stay with Elder Wealy. Get all the information you can from him."

Teyla's expression turned sad. "Yes, I will try, but he is quite affected by today's events. He has two grandsons here, one that is currently in the infirmary. It will be difficult to get him to talk again, especially in front of the younger boy. He does not want to traumatize the child any more than he has already been."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "See what you can do."

She looked to Lorne. "You've completed your search of our immediate area?"

"Yes, ma'am. We didn't find anything out of the way, and now that we know of the containment breach, we know why. I can start setting up search grids for the outlying areas, but it will take a while to search. But at least we'll be ready to go when Dr. Zelenka can give us a more precise location." He stood.

"Keep me informed." 

Lorne nodded and left. She was alone with Teyla now. Elizabeth noticed for the first time that Teyla had cut her hair to even the lengths on both sides. She reached up and touched the ends of Teyla's hair. "I like the new look."

Teyla grimaced at the comment, self-consciously brushing a few locks behind her ear. "I really did not take the time to do it properly with everything being so chaotic." 

Her shyness regarding her hairstyle faded away as her gaze went distant. "It seems as if it has been days since I last saw the rest of my team. I do not think I will feel right until they are all home again."

Elizabeth smiled with encouragement. "They will be. Hold on to that thought."

Teyla nodded and looked up at her with a frown. "You have not stopped since all of this began. Please, accompany me to the mess hall and get something to eat while I talk to Elder Wealy." 

Elizabeth smiled for the sake of the Athosian. "I will go with you, but not because I'm hungry. There's just nothing else I can do right now except help with the survivors."

Teyla put one hand to Elizabeth's shoulder. "It is the mark of a great leader when one can realize it is time to stop until there is something more of substance to do." 

Elizabeth took a deep breath and shrugged, discarding Teyla's compliment with a twinkle in her eye. "No, it's called recognizing that everyone has a job to do except me."

She smiled, meeting Teyla's gaze. "Now that I think about it, I might be a little hungry. Let's go."

Teyla nodded and led the way. As Elizabeth followed her, her thoughts went to the city and its newly discovered vulnerability. She didn't like the way it made her feel. They had to take back control of the city and get their missing teams home. There was no other alternative.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	9. Chapter 9

Smelling salts brought John awake fast from seeming oblivion and he jerked his head away from the offending source before he realized he was moving. The abrupt movement pulled on his injuries and his eyes flashed open, angry and ready to lash out at the person responsible. That was when he saw Conteale standing in front of him.

He sneered at her for a moment before he looked around to get his bearings. They were still on Conteale's ship, back in her office again. As John straightened in his chair, S'moa gestured to the man who had been holding John upright to let go of him. John saw Ronon, McKay, and McMurphy sitting nearby and nodded to them. 

John licked his lips and leaned back in his chair with a forced air of nonchalance, and then looked up at her. "Were you waiting on me, Conteale? I told you before you could start the party without me," he said with a lazy drawl to hide his lingering grogginess.

Through half-hooded eyes, he watched her set the smelling salts on her desk and lean against it. "I couldn't do that, Sheppard. You have to be awake to work in the Benji crystal packing area. It's cold, nasty work, and I hear it's raining outside. I do hope you won't be too miserable."

"I'll manage," he said, shooting her a glare before he let his expression change. "We need to talk first."

She looked a little surprised, but then hid it. "I was thinking the same thing. That is why you are here now."

He glanced up at her warily. She moved closer until her face was uncomfortably close to his. "Tell me about the weapon you have in the hills."

John laughed despite his grim situation. "Weapon? What weapon?"

Her expression turned hard and she reached forward, squeezing his arm wound between her thumb and fingers. He stiffened as his pain levels went through the roof, and he broke into a sweat as he held his breath, fighting to hold out against the discomfort. She raised her voice. "The weapon that you used to kill five of my men! That weapon, Sheppard!"

He tried not to show any response, but it felt like she was moving a hot poker around inside his wound. Everything started fading away and he knew he was close to passing out again. Then he heard McKay shouting in the background. 

"We don't have any secret weapon, Conteale! Is that what you wanted to talk to him about? Crap, I could have told you that much!"

She released her hold on John's arm. John opened his eyes, shooting McKay a warning glance. McKay closed his mouth and shrugged. "Well, we don't." 

John widened his gaze and looked at him more emphatically. 

"Sorry," McKay whispered finally.

John closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. The next thing he knew Conteale was whispering into his ear. "You will tell me everything I wish to know."

"When hell freezes over," he said hoarsely.

She chuckled, her breath hot on his neck. "I hear it is very cold outside, so perhaps that means you will tell me everything soon."

She moved away. John took a quick breath, but then let his head droop slightly. "So that thing attacked your men too, huh?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

His eyebrows rose in response. "Didn't you find the bodies by the stargate? The ancestral ring?"

She didn't reveal much either way, so he continued, "We were attacked, too. There's got to be something out there in those hills that kills. It's tagged our people and yours too. Maybe we should combine forces and go looking for it."

S'moa's expression shifted. "You will have more than enough to keep you busy, Sheppard. Besides, if there is something out there, it won't matter to me for long, because we will be leaving in the next day or so, as soon as the last harvest of Benji crystals are packaged and stored on my ship." 

"Don't worry about me," he said dryly, "I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

She almost purred as she came around his chair. "You don't look like you are feeling very well, Colonel. My physician said you have developed a nasty infection in your arm wound. I feel responsible for your illness, so I had my doctor do his best to strengthen you and treat your other injuries, too."

John glanced down at his arm. The wound was wrapped in a brand new dressing, one that now had a streak of bright red shining through. He frowned at her, his voice sarcastic. "You had your doctor look at me? Why would you do such a thing for _impudent fodder_ like me?"

Conteale smiled and looked to McKay, as if they were sharing some inner secret. The exchange made John watch the two more closely. There was something about Rodney – sadness or grief maybe. Whatever it was, it was something that was very uncharacteristic for McKay and that bothered John. 

"Impudent fodder needs to be properly punished. Not many men accomplish as much against me as you did in such a short time, Colonel Sheppard. You owe me retribution."

"Retribution? Ah, hell... " John's voice cracked with disbelief. He glared at her before shrugging her off. "So, you want your pound of flesh, is that it? That is so Machiavellian. Just kill me now and get it over with. I don't like games like these."

"Well, I do." She stood and went over by McKay, her fingers playing in McKay's hair. "I like all kinds of games."

John's gaze narrowed, his voice barely above a whisper as he said, "You ever play with a rattlesnake or a cobra, Conteale? You know, a poisonous snake that can kill you if it gets too close?"

She straightened and turned in his direction. "Why do you ask?"

"There's a trick to it, you know. Snake charmers do it all the time. It's almost like an art form."

She stopped in front of him and he let every bit of his rage spew forth from his gaze. "You remind me of a poisonous snake and I've dealt with more than my fair share of them over the years, lots of different kinds. You better watch out or you'll wind up defanged."

She stared at him for a long moment and he wasn't sure if she was going to kill him or just hit him. In the end, she simply laughed hard and moved away. "Cling to your delusions, Sheppard, and I'll cling to reality, the reality I control. You were closer to the truth than you realized when you said I was a poisonous snake. Consider yourself bitten, because that's exactly what I did when I cut your arm with my knife."

Her smile had a malevolent edge, but it grew even darker as she said, "The knife I used on you had been dipped in poison. You're feeling its effects steal your life away even as we speak. You will die, Colonel, no matter what the cause, and ultimately it will be by my hand."

Ronon came out of his chair, knocking aside a guard as he made his way to Conteale. There was no sign of weakness or his assorted other infirmities behind the glint of murder in his eyes. Ronon's reaction took Conteale by surprise and she recoiled slightly before her men stunned him. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

John looked at Ronon's unmoving body, and then stared Conteale hard. Now, he knew exactly why his condition had deteriorated so quickly. He glanced at McKay and Rodney held his gaze for a moment, looking sick himself at the revelation, and then he nodded. John bit his lip, the reality of it all settling in even more. He believed McKay where he might have disregarded Conteale or even the symptoms of his own body. 

John shrugged. "You know, there's a saying from my world. What goes around comes around. You and I aren't finished yet."

Conteale looked amused. "Yes, we are. It is time for you to go work in the crystal packaging area. My men will take all of you there now. All of you except Mac-Kay. He will stay with me."

She watched for John's reaction and John couldn't hide it completely. Where pain and poisoning had failed to unnerve him, S'moa had stumbled onto one of his greatest weaknesses, namely his men. More specifically, Rodney, in this case. And she was milking it for all she could. She bent over and kissed McKay hard on the lips, even as he squirmed to get away from her. 

John cringed inwardly as Rodney's words came back to him, lashing at him like a whip. _"Sheppard, if she captures me again, it's very likely I'll be raped! That's something I'll do anything to avoid."_

At the moment, it looked like McKay had been right. Conteale had control of Rodney now and anything could happen. Back then, John had teased McKay about it, but now there was no getting around what Conteale had in mind for Atlantis' star scientist. _Son of a bitch!_

S'moa straightened, and then put a hand on top of Rodney's head, much as an owner would pet their cat or dog. "I have work for him to do here, but near the end of our Sinomean cycle, he will join me for dinner... and relaxation." 

John's gaze met hers and did battle for a long moment before Conteale waved for her men to take them away. John was the last to stand. His voice was low and threatening, his expression cold and hard as he whispered, "This isn't over, S'moa."

Conteale rolled her eyes and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "I tire of this false bravado. Get them out of here." 

John's last glimpse of McKay was one of panic and sick resignation. John started to repeat his line of _"Breathe and think"_ , but thought better of it. He wasn't the man who was going to spend time with the snake lady. 

Instead, Sheppard gave McKay a long look, hoping their friendship would say the words neither one of them had the time to say, and then he was pushed out the door.

  
**oOoOoOoOo**

Lorne came into Elizabeth's office with Teyla, silencing Elizabeth's conversation with Radek. 

"Well, it's happened. I just received a call. One of my teams found four bodies." Lorne licked his lips, glancing at Radek for a moment and continued, "Scientists. Their bodies were found near generator number three. Looks like they were attacked so quickly, none of them had a chance to call for help."   
  
Elizabeth sighed softly and put a hand to the back of her neck. Radek looked at him with alarm. "Who?"

"Botanists heading to their lab in the east pier. Steward, Johnson, Smith, and Richards."

Radek's expression saddened. Teyla touched his arm and said, "Dr. Beckett and his staff will do the autopsies, but the team that reported in said the bodies looked like they had been dead for a while, so it is possible they were attacked long before we even knew about the containment breach." 

Radek's gaze darted away as Elizabeth said, "This has to end. I can't have people confined in their rooms indefinitely."

"What about guarded patrols to escort people to areas of safety – well, relative safety – to the rec rooms and mess hall that we can fortify and defend? It's better than nothing," Lorne asked.

She paced to the end of her desk and turned back to him. "Do it, but I also want teams protecting this section of the city, too, just in case it doubles back this way. What Radek and his staff are trying to do is too vital to be interrupted. Now, we've lost four more people to that thing and I don't want to lose any more."

Lorne nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I'll set it up, but it's going to stretch my men pretty thin. We will need everyone on the search teams once we've got a definite location." 

Radek fidgeted. "I was just telling Dr. Weir we have isolated the energy power signature that overwhelmed our systems. That part was easy. But finding a way to use our internal sensors to search inside the city for that specifically has proven to be quite difficult. We are making progress, but it is slow and, like you, I only have so many people to work on it. Everyone else is working on getting the gate and its subsystems operational again."

"Keep on it. Both of you, Radek and Lorne. Sooner or later, we'll catch a break."

"We will keep after it, like a bear after sugar, Doctor Weir," Radek said with a sigh.

Lorne chuckled. "A bear after honey, Doc. It's a bear after honey."

Radek frowned before his expression shifted into a sheepish grin, easing the group's tension a bit. "It is similar, no? Your metaphors can be most confusing at times. I shall try to remember that one next time." 

Elizabeth took a breath and turned to Lorne. "Begin moving our people, but I want two teams to go with each group. I know doing that will slow things down, but I want to make sure our people are safe in transit."

Lorne nodded, looking to Teyla. "We'll figure it out. We better get going, ma'am."

"Report in when you're done."

Lorne and Teyla left, and Elizabeth was alone with Radek again. Radek sighed, looking up at her as he said softly, "Sometimes I think we ask the impossible of each other too often."

Elizabeth glanced at him, and then down at the floor before she straightened. She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Sometimes we have to."

He nodded and went back to the computer display they were looking at before the interruption and continued.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	10. Chapter 10

John didn't ever remember being so cold before, not even in Antarctica. His teeth chattered, his muscles shook with an intensity of their own design, and he couldn't feel his fingers and toes any longer, but inside he felt like he was burning up, especially behind his eyes. Fire and ice, that was his existence at the moment.

A half day in the cold rain had nearly done him in. Conteale's wish for him to suffer had been fulfilled in a big way, but just to spite her, he lasted until they stopped for the mid-day break before he collapsed. As the others helped to lower him to the wet ground, he closed his eyes and shuddered, wrapping his arms around his middle. He curled up on his side, as if that would provide him with a little more warmth. 

It seemed only fair that his wounds would be numb from the cold, too, but they weren't. Instead, they screamed like an air raid siren inside his head, making it difficult for him to hear the others. Someone patted him on the cheek and he opened his eyes to see Ronon kneeling over him. Ronon looked bad. He was soaking wet, pale, and his shoulder wound was bleeding again. 

"You... look... like crap," John managed to stammer out, his breath catching.

Ronon grunted. "I could say the same for you. Do you think you can eat? It's not much, but it's food and you need something to keep you going."

John frowned and shook his head. "Don't think... I could... keep it down."

Ronon shared a worried glance with an older woman who had knelt beside him. "Let me look at him, though there isn't much I could do to help. I don't have any of my herbs and other treatments to work with."

John shook his head. "Check my friends... first. They... all have injuries."

The silver-haired woman smiled sadly. She had a down-to-earth caring reflecting in her brown eyes, something that gave John an immediate connection with her. "Hello, Colonel Sheppard, I am Casea, the village healer. I will see to your friends, but after I check on you first."

She put a hand to his forehead. "Your fever is high. At least the rain will help to keep you cool, but you should be in bed, resting to conserve your energy for fighting the infection in your arm."

She went to remove his bandage, but when she touched his arm, he hissed and arched up off the ground. She quickly released her hold on him, and he looked up in time to see her glance at Ronon in alarm. Ronon squeezed John's shoulder. "Hang on, Sheppard, she needs to take a look at your arm."

John bit his lower lip as he tried to steady his trembling again and nodded for her to continue. Even though she was very careful as she unwrapped his bandage, it still hurt like hell. He sighed with relief when she was done. It felt so good to have the pressure binding his wound relieved, but the reprieve was short-lived, lasting only a minute before she wrapped it back up again. 

Closing his eyes, John felt himself drift away and he was sorely tempted to just let oblivion take him when he heard Casea speaking softly. "He is very ill, perhaps beyond my ability to help, even if I had all of my supplies and a warm bed for him to rest in."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Sgt. McMurphy asked, his graveled voice now deeper with concern.

Casea didn't answer, but she must have shook her head, because John heard Ronon curse under his breath. Someone else spoke to Casea from behind them, "What about the ancient healing with the crystals? Couldn't that buy him more time?"

John opened his eyes slightly to see Casea frown and shake her head. "That hasn't been tried for many decades, not since the great mine explosion. I'm not sure I even remember how to do it."

The brown-haired young man with eyes matching his hair spoke again, this time in softer tone. "Mother, you know the treatment, it just frightens you to try it."

"The Glentick mineral is very rare," she said quietly.

He touched her shoulder. "Not now, not after the Sinomeans' mining process opened up the hillside."

Casea let her head drop. John saw reluctance in her expression, but also fear at the same time. He reached for her forearm. He set his trembling fingers on her chilled skin and whispered, "What... is it?"

When she looked at him, the woman's sad brown eyes pierced his feverish haze. "It is a very old curative, one that usually heals the patient, but causes great pain in the process."

John's eyes widened at the news. "Heals? How?"

"The Benji crystals are used with the Glentick mineral... the mineral that forms around the most pure of crystals. I don't completely understand the way it works – some type of resonance within the crystals that interacts with the Glentick and the healer – I only know the ancient stories says the treatment is nearly one hundred percent effective."

Ronon asked, "So, why do you hesitate?"

She glanced down at John. "It is only temporary. A day or two, at the most. The old ones used the treatment to strengthen the patient until other remedies could take hold."

John licked his lips and wrapped his arms tighter around his stomach. "Let's do it."

Casea put her hand upon his forearm. "It has not been tried in a very long time. I was taught the procedure when I was quite young, but I've never used it myself." She paused. "Colonel, you are very ill. If I make a mistake – "

Ronon interrupted her. "Try it on me first. If it works, you can try it on him next."

Casea shook her head. "There is not enough time for us to try it on either one of you right now. Besides, we are too exposed here. Conteale and her men might try to stop us. But if you insist, I will gather the crystals and Glentick ore this afternoon, at least enough for two treatments, and we will try it tonight."

John took a quick breath. "What about poison? Will it work... to counteract poisons in the body?"

When Casea looked puzzled, Ronon jumped in. "Conteale poisoned him. That's part of the reason why his arm wound got so bad so fast. Will this healing treatment work against that?"

Casea took a long breath as she stared at John. "It may. It's hard to say how much it will help. I only know the healing treatment will not do anything for your concussion or broken ribs, because the healing is very localized, but there's a possibility it will help to minimize the effects of the poison. I am sorry not to be able to tell you more than that."

"It's better news than I would have had if you weren't around."

Casea's son leaned forward, looking to John. "I am Denaz. I am training under my mother to become a healer. My daughter was among the children who escaped with you."

John's gaze dropped down and he prayed she wasn't one of the kids that had been killed at the gate. Denaz spoke louder to include the others around them, "We will help you because of what you did to save our children and grandchildren. We are in your debt."

As those nearby responded in agreement, John let his eyes close. Ronon shook his shoulder gently. When John looked up at him, Ronon asked, "You think you can hang in there for the afternoon?"

John nodded and spoke with much more determination than he felt. "I can... if you can."

There was admiration in Ronon's eyes and he was about to speak when a familiar voice cried out. "Oh my God, just look at the two of you!"

John raised his head to see McKay standing behind Casea and her son, his mouth gaping wide open. "I leave you for a few hours and see what happens..."

"What're... you... doing here?" John asked as he tried to raise his head.  
  
"I told Conteale I needed to get some readings from the Benji crystals as they were being harvested. Damn, you look bad."

John grunted and let his head drop back down. "That's... because I feel bad... Rodney."

McKay glanced around and crouched next to him. "Listen, I don't have much time." 

He continued, turning to Ronon. "If you can collect enough Benji crystal fragments, maybe a couple dozen, and sneak them inside, I'll come tonight to get them from you. They don't have to be very big. Actually, slivers would actually be better than rock-sized chunks, if we have enough of them."

Ronon looked to Casea and frowned, "We already need some for Sheppard. I'm not sure how much more we can get."

McKay looked at him and frowned, "Huh? Why?"

John shook his head. "Never mind... what're you planning?"

"Maybe a couple well placed explosions to use as a distraction for the escape, maybe more depending on how much you can get for me."

Ronon seemed surprised. "Escape? You've got a plan?"

McKay smiled smugly. "I do."

Ronon smiled back. "It's about time."

"Well, I've been a little busy," Rodney said with a disgruntled sigh. "Conteale has had me working on one piece of broken equipment after another. It's amazing that this junk heap was even spaceworthy, considering how shoddy the maintenance work has been up til now."

It was becoming more difficult for John to listen to the conversation. All he wanted to do was give into the urge to sleep and escape the cold and pain. His eyelids started to slide closed again.

McMurphy asked, "The captain just lets you roam around like this?"

McKay must have stood because he sounded further away when he spoke next. "Yeah, kind of. She has her ways of... keeping me in line."

John opened his eyes to see McKay hold up his hand, revealing something around his wrist. "A control bracelet. I never noticed until I got one of my own, but all of the Sinomeans wear them, except for Conteale. If I do something she doesn't like, she can zap me with it." He sighed. "I've been working on the ship's equipment while she's been off doing her captain thing. As long as I do what she wants, she lets me go for these escorted walks." 

Rodney shuddered. "She keeps saying tonight's the night, torturing me with possibilities I'd rather not even think of."

"She's not an idiot... Rodney. She'll... be watching... you," John whispered.

The surprise he saw on both Ronon and McKay's faces when they realized that he was still conscious was worth the energy it cost him to comment. 

McKay recovered quickly and then nodded with pride. "That's what I'm hoping for. What she doesn't know is that I've been rigging things for our escape while I've been working for her." 

"You don't... have to do this," John countered, not willing to let the matter drop.

"Yeah, right. What exactly am I supposed to do if not this? Enjoy being dead or worse? No, I don't think so. Besides, I haven't done anything yet that will give me nightmares and I don't plan on doing it either. Well, some of those kisses might... " McKay winced, and then he shrugged slightly, and went silent. 

Ronon saved everyone from the awkward quiet by changing the subject. "How do you plan on getting the crystals out of here?"

McKay reached up and knocked on Ronon's head. "Hello? Remember? I said I've got a plan? Geez, Conan, at least pretend to pay attention."

Ronon had to be feeling pretty bad, because he didn't even throw McKay a threatening look. John closed his eyes and with warning in his tone, he said, "McKay."

Without looking, he knew that McKay had rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, play nice."

John blinked and caught McKay glancing around nervously. The scientist chewed on his lower lip before looking down at John, and then over to Ronon. "Take care of him."

"I can... take care... of myself," John whispered.

"Yeah, you're doing such a bang up job of it right now."

John went to speak and coughed instead. The pain in his ribs flared and he curled up with his arms around his ribs. A moment later, McKay moved closer, now at his side. "You better hang in there, Sheppard. I refuse to rescue you only to have you die. What's more, I absolutely refuse to lug your dead body home!"

John grunted in reply. 

Ronon said, "We might have a plan to get him better... at least long enough for us to get him back to Atlantis."

McKay's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. Before he could say anything more, Ronon looked at McKay's guard a short distance away, who was acting very impatient. The Sinomean had short, bushy hair and the unwavering eyes of a man used to watching over others. Ronon's voice was low as he said, "Like you said, you better go. You'll know when you stop by tonight if it worked or not."

McKay hesitated, glancing to John again. "Just remember what you told me about getting us out of this mess. We'll be back at Atlantis before you know it. I'll see you later."

A moment later, McKay was gone. Casea held a cup of water to John's lips. "You must try to drink this. We have to keep you as strong as we can. We still have the afternoon to work."

John sipped at the water and closed his eyes at the thought of enduring more hours of work in the cold rain, but he didn't have any choice. He was in the same boat as McKay. If he didn't work, they'd kill him for sure. At least he didn't have to deal with Conteale, queen of the snake ladies.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	11. Chapter 11

Radek smiled. It still wasn't very clear, but there was a vague red moving dot on his computer screen. He looked up at Weir. "That's it."

"And you only see one of them?"

He nodded and looked back up at her. "Yes, that's all the sensors detect."

Weir tapped her headset. "Major Lorne, we have a definite area to search. And there's more good news, it appears there's only one Madj."

She patted Radek on the shoulder and said, "Good job, Radek."

Relief was evident in his voice as Lorne answered, "That's great news. Send the coordinates to me. I've got Teyla with me. We'll take our teams into the area right away and let you know what we find – "

Radek straightened as he narrowed the field down until the red dot was easier to read. He looked up at Weir as he said, "Major, I now show two life signs near the Madj! In fact, they are heading straight at the creature!"

"Where?" Lorne asked.

He gave Lorne the coordinates. "Nobody's supposed to be in that area! Recon teams report!"

Weir looked over at Radek in confusion as Lorne's teams called in rapid succession. She leaned closer and frowned. "It has to be one of our security teams. Everyone else is confined to the quarantined areas."

Radek didn't have time to respond. He saw the Madj's speed change. It was now moving toward the life signs rapidly as if homing in on them. "Major, this creature can move quickly, very quickly, and it's getting closer to the life signs, whoever they are." 

There was a brief pause, then the last of the teams reported in. Radek could almost see the faceless soldier squirm with nervousness as he said, "Major Lorne, sir, this is Corporal Packard. We got off our search grid somehow. I think we're the ones out of position."

Lorne's voice was tense as he said, "Packard, that creature is coming in your direction and it's moving fast. Get into one of the labs in that area and lock the door."

"Yes, sir," came a nasal-toned voice. "We're – "

Radek looked up at Elizabeth, his eyes wide with worry at the proximity of the Madj and the two life signs. There wasn't any time to speak. In the next heartbeat, the audio channel was filled with the sound of extended automatic weapons fire, frightened shouts and screams. 

Radek had begun to pull his headset away with the noise, but ripped it from his ear when an explosion occurred. "What was that?" he asked as he looked up at Weir in concern, even as she pulled her radio away from her ear, too. 

She shook her head grimly and he cautiously put the headset closer to his ear again in time to hear Lorne shouting Packard's name again. When there was no reply, Lorne ordered, "All available teams to the central hub ASAP!"

Breathless moments passed and Radek watched his computer screen closely. "I can track the Madj's movements from here, Major. It appears to be moving away at a high rate of speed. Yes, it is going deeper into the uninhabited areas. And your men are starting to converge on Corporal Packard's location."

Radek tensed as he watched one of the two life signs, Packard or the man with him, blink out. He glanced at Weir who had also seen the same thing and grimaced. 

Teyla spoke next. "We need a medical team to our location!"

Beckett responded. "On my way."

Before anything more could be said, Lorne spoke again, his voice low and angry, "Espinoza's dead and Packard's in a bad way. Looks like they used their P-90s and a grenade against the thing. Obviously, that wasn't enough to stop it. Damn!"

Radek closed his eyes at the news. Weir opened her mouth to speak, but didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally, she said, "Understood."

Lorne's voice had a bitter edge to it when he said, "Dr. Weir, the medical team has arrived. I'm going to take my men and have them fan out."

Radek cleared his throat and said, "Major, the Madj is far from your location. Your people are safe for the moment."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, once the medical team has moved out, have your men fall back while you and Teyla return here. It's time to plan our next step." 

Radek blinked as Weir stepped away. Only a few minutes ago, things had seemed so promising, but now... how could it go so wrong so fast?

The cluster of life signs at the site began to disperse as Lorne's men followed their orders and fell back. Radek's attention stayed on the set of life signs that were headed back toward the infirmary with Packard. Radek swallowed in alarm when he saw the medical team had stopped moving. A moment later, another life sign disappeared. He put his head in his hands as Weir received another radio call to report Corporal Packard had just died. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

A groan brought John fully awake, but the groan didn't come from him. Whoever it was, the man was in obvious agony. He opened his eyes to see if he could help in some way and was surprised to discover the groans were coming from Ronon. The muscles in Ronon's face, neck and arms were tightly bunched, as if he was doing everything he could to keep from screaming. 

John tried to sit up, but couldn't. The slight movement nearly caused him to pass out. Still, he was worried about his comrade. "Ronon? Ronon, can you hear me?" he called, stretching out a hand in Ronon's direction.

Casea turned from Ronon's side, looking surprised to see John awake. She seemed unsteady for a moment before she focused on John. "He will be fine. Just rest. I will be with you shortly."

John shook his head. "No, damn it, tell me what's wrong with him!"

Sgt. McMurphy moved to John's side and put a hand on his shoulder to gently push him back down again, his blue eyes dark with concern. "They are trying the crystal healing treatment with him, sir."

When John frowned in confusion, McMurphy took a deep breath and said, "You might not remember it, but they discussed this with you at the lunch break."

John let his head drop back to the ground. It was much warmer inside the mine, in fact, it felt sweltering compared to the rainy hillside. At least now he was warmer and drier. He swallowed and said, "Healing treatment... yeah, I remember something about that now."

John's gaze went back to Ronon just as Ronon passed out and something unidentifiable fell from the Satedan's mouth. McMurphy whistled softly and said, "Ronon's the toughest guy I've ever met. That treatment must be hell for him to react like that – "

McMurphy's eyes widened when he realized what he was saying and he stumbled over his next few words. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't –"

John waved a hand in McMurphy's' direction. "You were just being honest, Sergeant. Forget it."

John ran his tongue over his chapped lips as he took a breath. "Though it doesn't look like it's a whole lot of fun, does it?" he asked finally.

McMurphy rocked back on his heels. "No, sir, it doesn't."

He looked down at John. "Do you want some water or something?"

John nodded. McMurphy brought a cup to his lips and John sipped at it. He let McMurphy help to lower his head to the ground, feeling weaker than a newborn kitten. His fever was high and the ache from his wound now included his whole arm and shoulder. Though he tried, he couldn't remember how he had gotten back into the mines. He only knew he didn't get there on his own two feet. 

His eyelids closed on their own and the next thing he knew, McMurphy was gone and Casea was kneeling in his place. Her long fingers felt cool against his skin as she gently patted his cheek. "Colonel Sheppard? Can you hear me?"

He nodded and opened his eyes reluctantly. "Call me John. Don't have to be so formal since you're trying to save my life and all." He paused, licking his lips. "So, I guess it's my turn?"

She looked tired, much more than she had at the crystal packaging area, yet she smiled in response. She took a deep breath, and then her caring gaze bore deeper into him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

John glanced over to Ronon again and shivered. "I don't think I have much choice."

She put the back of her hand to his forehead, and then shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You can't keep going like this – but the treatment is much harder than I ever imagined. I saw it in Ronon's eyes. Unfortunately, your infirmities are much worse, so the pain will be accordingly greater."

Her fingers dropped away and she shifted, flexing her shoulders. "The good news is that Ronon is better. At least for the next few days. Hopefully, by then, he will be back on your home world. Look, even now, he is trying to awaken. That is a very good sign."

John looked over to see that Ronon was in fact fighting to open his eyes. His coloring and breathing were much better now.

_Damn, it really does work._

It was like a miracle to see the change and know the reason behind it, making John crave the healing power for himself now, no matter how much it hurt. 

He looked at Casea again, noticing her pale coloring for the first time. Denaz was at her side, watching her closely. "No, son, I am fine. Do not worry. The process is just more demanding than I anticipated."

John reached up with one hand, catching her forearm. "What is it?"

When Casea shook her head, John's gaze went to Denaz. "Does this – treatment – hurt her in some way?"

Denaz pursed his lips together, but it was Casea who answered. "As I said, the process is more demanding than I thought it would be, but it is not too much for me. Denaz, let's prepare for Sheppard."

John didn't let go of her arm. "I won't do this if it endangers you in some way."

Her expression softened and her hand went to his cheek again. "No wonder your people care so much about you." She smiled and the sentiment reached her eyes, making them sparkle. "I swear I am not in danger. The process merely fatigues me."

He watched her for a long moment, weighing her words, and then he looked at Denaz, who nodded. Slowly, John let his hand fall away. Casea moved beside him. Without another word, Denaz handed her a torn cloth coated with a dark metallic paste, and then he gave her two small red crystals very carefully, one at a time. The crystals looked like the same ones they had spent most of the day working with.

Casea shared a look with her son. Being close to them now, he could see how similar their brown eyes and features were, almost as if they were looking into a mirrored reflection of each other. Casea said, "We should begin, Colonel, before Captain Conteale finds out what we are doing."

"Do I get a bullet to bite on?" John asked jokingly as Casea started to unwrap his arm bandage, making him hiss in discomfort again, but at least he was able to keep from arching off the floor this time.

"Here, I have this for you," Denaz said to John as he handed him a piece of wood, a small stick four inches long and about a quarter inch in diameter. 

John's eyes bulged, and then he grunted. "I was only kidding about the bullet," he whispered as he took the stick with his good hand, imagining it between his teeth before remembering something had fallen from Ronon's mouth after he passed out. It must have been a broken bit of wood.

_Crap._

John's mood darkened even more when he caught sight of the bloody pus-filled bandage once Casea pulled it away. He glanced down to the wound itself and nearly gagged as the pervasive stench of infection reached his nose. His whole upper arm was now involved. The swollen and infected tissue showed angry streaks of red tracking up under his skin toward his heart. He turned his head away and tried not to groan as she wrapped the new cloth with its cold heavy contents firmly around his arm and tied it in place. Any pressure at all on the arm was enough to make dark spots appear in John's vision.

"Okay, are you ready for me to begin?" she asked softly.

He looked at the crystals carefully held in her hands. "How does this work exactly?"

She took the crystals and positioned them on either side of his arm wound. 

"The energy from the crystals becomes more focused in the open air with the Glentick mineral between them. The power is activated by touch with the crystals and the healer. By rotating them in a certain way, the energy passes through the injured tissue and reacts with the Glentick and the healing begins. I cannot fully explain its workings, I only know that it does work... for a time."

John glanced back to Ronon again. Ronon had his eyes open, and was looking around. The sight encouraged John. If Ronon could survive it, he could, too. At least, he hoped he could. He swallowed again and looked up at Casea. 

"Let's do it," he whispered softly.

She waited while Denaz helped John to position the piece of wood in his mouth. The taste of it reminded him of pine. Out of the blue, he thought of childhood trips to the mountains for Christmas trees, not that he used to gnaw on pine trees back then, it just helped to bring back the memory. 

He nodded to Casea and she began to move her hands into the correct positions. There was a strange tingling that made John glance down at his arm and then back up at her. Casea's forehead was tight with concentration. Already, there were tiny beads of sweat on her brow and her hands began to shake slightly.

The tingling in his arm grew and grew into something fierce and all consuming. He started to grind his teeth against the wood. His eyes rolled back into his head as the pain ignited into white hot fire running along even the tiniest nerve. In all the times he'd ever been hurt, he'd never known pain like this. It seemed to eat at his body and his spirit in some unholy way.

Then the groaning began. There was no way to remain quiet now. Time had stopped in that agonizing void between hurt and relief, marooning him on the dark side of pain. He felt the stick in his mouth crack from the force of his bite, and then he passed out, grateful to finally find the relief that had eluded him until then.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Rodney arrived in the cavern with Conteale and found several people gathered around Ronon and Sheppard. They quickly scattered, leaving McMurphy between the two prone men. As he stood there, McMurphy gave Rodney a strange look that told him he'd just missed something big.

Conteale seemed to notice it, too, pausing to speak with the guards at the entrance. Rodney didn't hear the conversation at first because he was too involved in what was happening with Ronon and Sheppard, but when he tuned back in, he heard her say, "We need more surveillance in here. Set up some cameras."

The guard frowned. "Even with the torches and the natural phosphorescence in the mine's walls, it's pretty dark for a camera. I'm not sure how much you'll be able to see and it will take some time to set up. How soon before we leave?"

Conteale took a deep breath before looking toward Rodney. "Maybe another day. Do what you can and send the feed up to my cabin when it's done."

The guard nodded and Conteale gestured for Rodney to go to Sheppard's side while holding tightly onto Rodney's arm. Her voice was full of mock concern as she said, "I heard the Colonel wasn't doing very well, so I thought I would let Mac-Kay visit him one last time." 

She turned to Rodney. "But he seems too feverish for him to even know you are here, my pet."

Rodney didn't know quite what to do. Sheppard wasn't supposed to be at death's door. They said they were going to try something that would make Sheppard a lot better. _Why the hell wasn't Sheppard doing better? Damn it!_

Rodney glanced down and saw Sheppard murmuring soft moans in some type of delirious state. Conteale turned her attention back to him, and he allowed her to see his very real fear and worry for Sheppard. "S'moa, you're right. He doesn't look good. Do you think I could have a few minutes alone with him?"

She brought his face to hers and gave him a long, intimate kiss for the benefit of those watching. Then she squeezed his butt with one hand, pressing him close to her as she kissed him again. When she was done, she said, "You may have a few minutes. Boneys will bring you back to my ship. Do not try my patience, Mac-Kay, or my interest in you may wane."

Rodney nodded and tried not to throw up in her face. He waited until she walked away, lingering even longer for her to finish speaking with Boneys. She took her own sweet time leaving, but at last, she sauntered down the corridor, pausing to see if he was still watching. When she saw he was, she blew him a kiss and he shivered in response. 

Sheppard had been right about her. She was like some ghastly snake lady. Maybe he should start calling her Medusa. When she was gone, he rubbed at his mouth with the back of his hand, desperately wishing he had some mouthwash. His racing thoughts came to an abrupt stop when Sheppard moaned softly and Rodney saw the colonel trying to awaken. 

"Mitch, Dax, watch out... " Sheppard murmured, obviously disturbed by something in his dream.

Sheppard's face was flushed and misted with sweat. Rodney felt a rush of worry, only to jump when Sheppard suddenly shouted, "NO!" 

The colonel reached out in the empty air with his good hand, as if trying to grab something, and then he groaned, wrapping his arm around his ribs as a tear escaped and ran down his dirt-streaked face. Rodney looked away, feeling like he was intruding upon some private moment.

An older woman made her way over to Sheppard now that Conteale was gone. She took Sheppard's hand and whispered words of comfort as she brushed her thumb above his brow. Sheppard seemed to respond to her touch and settled down a bit. 

"Dreams are supposed to be fairly common after a strong healing," a young man in his early twenties said as he came to stand beside Rodney.

"What?" Rodney asked, looking at him hard. "What's happened to him?"

"Don't worry. He's okay," Ronon said in a low tone, now standing beside him. 

"Don't worry?" Rodney said in a loud whisper, hearing the depth of disbelief in his own voice. "Holy crap, just look at him!" 

Rodney stopped. He hadn't meant to speak so loudly. He glanced back to Boneys who was still standing by the cavern entrance talking to another guard, not particularly paying attention to what Rodney was doing.

"It will pass," Ronon said hoarsely, gingerly moving his arm and shoulder. He seemed surprised at how easily he could move.

"Didn't you have a couple of holes in that shoulder?" Rodney asked as he pointed at Ronon, again confused.

Ronon shrugged. "It's better now. Look, I know we don't have a lot of time. We've got the Benji crystals. How are we supposed to pass them to you?"

"Can you get them without a lot of attention?" Rodney glanced at Ronon, still wondering what had taken place during his absence.

Ronon turned to the young man next to them. "Denaz?" he asked and got a nod back in response. 

The young man turned and went to a bucket of water, dipping an empty cup inside to fill it while he reached behind the bucket. Without warning, Ronon groaned and collapsed. Rodney barely had time to catch him and had to struggle to keep him upright. 

"I could use a little help here," he grumbled. He noticed Ronon had a slight grin on his lips and straightened a bit so that Rodney didn't have to work as hard to hold him upright.

"I'm here," McMurphy said as he put an arm around Ronon's other shoulder, taking on part of Ronon's weight from Rodney. 

Denaz joined them, extending the water cup for Ronon to take a drink. When the big guy groaned again, the young man stepped closer, using the distraction to slip a small package, about one inch wide and two inches long, inside Rodney's arm sling, shielding the movement from sight with his body. 

Ronon pulled away from Rodney and took the cup with one hand, bringing it to his lips, sipping slowly. After that, Ronon allowed Rodney and McMurphy help him to sit down near Sheppard. 

John called out again in his dream state, as if their presence had disturbed him, but his words were in another language, something sounding almost Arabic. Arabic, he wondered, and then he remembered Sheppard had spent some time in the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan, though he never said much about it. The man had a way of constantly surprising him, sometimes even when he wasn't conscious – or maybe more so at those times than any other. 

Denaz joined the older woman at Sheppard's side and bent down to touch Sheppard's forehead. When he straightened, he was smiling. "The healing was successful. His fever is down."

Rodney frowned as he moved away from Ronon. Subtly adjusted his arm sling to better hide his new acquisition, Rodney stood and asked, "Healing? What the hell are you talking about?"

Not getting an answer from anyone, Rodney began to spew more questions, but then he closed his mouth when he noticed Sheppard's eyes were open and focused on him. Rodney stepped closer and knelt just as he heard Sheppard whisper, "McKay, you look like hell."

Rodney glanced at the others, and then he leaned closer. "Yeah, well, you try spending the day with Miss Nymphomaniac of the Year and see how you do."

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "It's not fair, you know. You're the James T. Kirk of the group, so she should be lusting for your body, not mine! I'm – I'm Spock, and Spock never gets the girl, not even when he fought on Vulcan for his bride. Well, there was that Romulan chick, but that didn't work out well either."

Sheppard grunted and then held his ribs more tightly for a moment. "Don't make me laugh." 

Rodney hadn't meant to run on like he had, but it was good to see a smile on the man's lips. Everything had been so grim ever since they'd first arrived on the planet. 

Sheppard swallowed. "I thought you had a plan to get us out of here."

Rodney puffed out his chest and said, "I do."

"Well, let's hear it." Sheppard actually had the audacity to look impatient. 

Rodney let his expression scrunch into an indignant frown. "Forgive me for being concerned about you." 

He glanced at the others, and then he realized why he felt so disconcerted. Sheppard's skin tone was closer to normal, and the lines of pain etched on his face were dramatically reduced. Somehow, Sheppard's condition had improved a great deal since Rodney had arrived and he was at a loss as to why. 

He glanced to the older woman in suspicion. "Something hinky is going on here." 

"Hinky? I don't believe you just used that word," Sheppard muttered as he moved up to rest on one elbow. 

"Yes, hinky, it's exactly what I mean! People are talking about healing for Pete's sake! Explain."

Sheppard seemed to ignore him as he moved his bandaged arm around a little, and then his eyes widened in surprise as he moved the limb in ever increasing circles. His free hand then went to his ribs, but he didn't seem to be as happy with what he found there. He looked up at Rodney, as if just remembering Rodney was still around, his eyes widening with irritation. 

"Let it suffice to say Ronon and I are both feeling a whole lot better. Right now, we need to know about your plan."

"Better? Well, that much is obvious. I'm not called a brilliant scientist for nothing, you know. I do have very acute powers of observation, which are telling me – "

"The plan... " Sheppard said with gritted teeth.

"Oh, yes, the plan." Rodney smiled. "Well, I found some interesting information. No wonder S'moa went crazy when I absconded with her interface device. It can operate much of their equipment, both on the ship and off, with very little effort. That could prove useful, if I can get the damned thing out of her possession for more than a few minutes. And I've found a map, with a possible route of escape through the mines themselves."

"We had a map like that."

"No, this is different. It appears to be a much older than the one we had and much more detailed. The passageways go deep into the heart of the mine. There are other entrances which we can use as exits."

"You do know there was a mine explosion that destroyed half the mine long ago," Denaz asked.

"There was?" Rodney was disconcerted with the news. He didn't need any setbacks at this point. "Where?"

"It was mostly the eastern half."

"Oh, well, that shouldn't affect things much."

"Are you sure?" Sheppard asked with alarm.

"Pretty sure... well, probably sure. There's no way to know with any certainty until we try it."

Sheppard sighed. "There's another question you haven't answered yet. Just how are we supposed to escape?"

Rodney smiled, this time with an air of conspiracy. "You'll be able to get out of here after I shut things off with the previously mentioned interface device, especially after I detonate a few well placed explosives."

Ronon kept his voice low as he asked, "And how are you going to be able to do all those things with Conteale watching you?" 

Rodney's smile faltered. "How doesn't matter right now, I can bore you to pieces telling you about it later. Right now, we need to finalize things." He sighed and whispered, "Let's just say, I'm in her good graces... at least until the time before her sleep cycle begins. Thank God these Sinomeans operate on a forty-two hour diurnal schedule. After that, anything can happen."

Both Ronon and Sheppard winced. Finally, Sheppard said, "You deserve the purple heart for this."

"Just remember this the next time you complain how I only think of my own ass."

"Well, sometimes you do," Sheppard said honestly, his compassion now gone.

In that instant, Rodney had enough of his attitude, falling into a familiar patter, "Oh, kiss my ass."

Without missing a beat, Ronon said, "I think that's what Conteale's been trying to do."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "No, that hasn't happened yet and I don't intend on letting it happen."

Sheppard smiled. "Make sure you don't. Does your master plan include allowing the escape of everyone in here?"

Rodney sneered. "Yes, of course, it does. I know you, and I wouldn't even consider a plan that didn't allow for that aspect, mostly because you wouldn't let me, _Mr. We Don't Leave A Man Behind'_."

"Enough already," Boneys said from the entrance, slowly moving toward them. "Conteale says it's time to go."

Rodney nodded and waved the man away in his usual condescending tone he reserved for those people who really irritated him. "In a minute."

Rodney had turned back to speak to Sheppard when he dropped down to his knees, howling in pain. Ronon and McMurphy went to his side just as the pain stopped, but Rodney couldn't get enough air, even with big gasping breaths. He heard Sheppard calling to him, and managed to say, "I'm... okay. It's just... that damned... control bracelet."

After a moment, Ronon helped Rodney to his feet. Boneys was about fifteen feet away from them. "Captain says it's time to go now."

"You better move it," Ronon said once Rodney was standing on his own again.

"Coming," Rodney said hoarsely.

"Watch yourself," Sheppard said in a low tone, conveying his concern.

Rodney looked at Sheppard, and then at Ronon and nodded. Before he turned back to Boneys, he whispered, "Just be ready for my signal."

For the benefit of the guard, Rodney said in a loud voice, "It's been nice knowing you."

Then he walked away without looking back. 

Rodney only hoped his plan was as assured of success as he had boasted to his friends. Otherwise, he had better get used to being Conteale's resident concubine.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	12. Chapter 12

"You were gone a very long time, Mac-Kay," Conteale said as she brushed her fingers along Rodney's cheek.

"No, not really. Well, maybe it just seemed like a long time, because you were missing my sunny disposition." 

He tried to sound interested, while at the same time, he tried to ignore the way his stomach turned upside down at his words. Boneys had just escorted him back to Conteale's cabin and the man still stood in the doorway, watching as they talked. A dark expression was painted on the guard's face.

S'moa smiled. "Oh, but I did miss you, my darling. Did you not get my earlier message?" she asked innocently as her fingers lingered on the metallic bracelet around his wrist.

"Oh yeah, it was kind of hard to ignore," Rodney answered, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his tone as he pulled away from her and rubbed at his wrist.

She smiled. "My apologies, but it was necessary for you to remember who's in control here." 

Going to her desk, she sat on the edge and said, "I see you have been busy bringing my equipment up to full operating capacity. I'm sorry there was so much for you to do. We haven't had anyone with your skills in a very long time."

Rodney shook his head. "I believe you think me more capable than I really am."

She smiled. "Even with a broken arm, I think you are capable of many things, things that come easily to you, like fixing equipment and being painfully handsome, but I shall find out what other things you are capable of tonight – and every night after that."

Rodney bristled. "I am not a possession. I am a human being and therefore deserve my freedom!"

"No, my darling Mac-Kay, your freedom was lost the moment you stepped on this planet, but luckily I have chosen to save your life. Your friends will not be so lucky."

He looked at her, his gaze meeting hers in a silent plea before he said, "But the others are smart, too, and they can do other important things."

She shook her head slightly. "Not like you. Besides, they do not interest me the way you do."

She approached him again, reaching up as she brought his head down to meet her and gave him a long, lingering kiss. When she pulled away, she said, "It is the anticipation of our night of passion that gives me the greatest thrill. Knowing you are mine and that I will have all of your hidden secrets revealed to me soon – oh, there is nothing more delicious."

Rodney let out a small whimper. "I don't know, the blue jello they have back at home is pretty good," he mumbled.

She didn't say anything, just smiled that damned smile of hers. He felt his resolve weaken further. He glanced away, rubbing his injured limb, and then he held it up for her to see. "Yes, well, with this broken arm, there will be a limit to certain things I can do."

She smiled sweetly. "We can work around those limitations, my darling. Do not concern yourself with such things. But there is something I do need to talk to you about – "

She pressed a button on her desk and a screen lit up, showing Rodney as he tinkered with his pilfered medical scanner. Boneys was behind him, but looking in another direction, as Rodney knelt below a recycling unit that he'd been repairing. 

Rodney watched himself move on the big monitor with a strange interest, staring at the screen mesmerized, until she reached inside his arm sling and pulled out the converted medical scanner. 

"What is this, my darling?" Conteale asked, her tone chiding and dangerous at the same time.

Rodney's eyes widened and he took a deep breath, hoping his inability to lie would not cost him his life or those of the others. "Well, it is – I mean – there's a perfectly good explanation – "

Her demeanor softened and she silenced him with a finger to his lips. "There's no need to explain. I understand completely. You are loyal to your companions and seek to save their lives. The sooner you accept they are going to die, the sooner you will accept your new life with me here. I could have caused you great pain right then, but I didn't want you to suffer without a warning."

He knew what was coming a split second before he felt the pain. That damned control bracelet. He sucked in air as he dropped to his knees, his body folding around his wrist and the blinding pain. He thought he was going to pass out this time when it stopped without explanation, leaving him breathless.

She knelt beside him and kissed his suddenly sweaty cheeks. She brought up his trembling hand as her lips brushed against the area around his wrist. "I do not like causing you pain," she whispered. 

_Like hell you don't_ , Rodney thought, but he was too breathless to actually say the words. He hung his head, knowing if he glanced in her direction, he'd try to rip her throat out. He closed his eyes as she started kissing him on the chest, pulling him toward her so she could work up his neck to his lips, still too weak to push her away. 

"I am sorry I had to do that, Mac-Kay. Are you better now?"

"Huh?" He looked down into her questioning stare, surprised that her kissing had ended so quickly. His strength returned with a sudden surge of anger and he pulled away from her. "Oh yeah, I'm just peachy." 

Her gaze narrowed as the fingers of one hand started reaching for her control bracelet. He realized his mistake and started sputtering, "I'm sorry, it must be the stress of the day, plus my blood sugar has to be bottoming out right now. I haven't eaten in a while."

She patted his cheek and stood, pulling him up with her. "Come, I have had something prepared for us. I prefer a late dinner, so this is just a snack. I will have to watch this low blood sugar thing with you, though. But first, there's another matter we must discuss."

Rodney looked to her in surprise. What was she up to now?

Conteale waved in Boneys who was still standing in the doorway. "Boneys, you let me down today. You were to watch Mac-Kay's movements, but there were times when you did not. Now, Mac-Kay will be your sole occupation. You go where he goes, you see what he sees, and if he feels the wrath of the control bracelet, so will you!"

She depressed a button on her gauntlet and Boneys went down to his knees, moaning softly. Rodney could see the second she let up on the control device, because the relief was clearly evident in the man's entire body. Conteale's voice was low, but firm as she said, "Let me down again, Boneys, and it will be the last time you do, do I make myself clear?"

Boneys swallowed, still gasping for air, and Rodney could see the fear present in the man's eyes, knowing just how he felt. She turned from Boneys and went back to Rodney, reaching up to grab Rodney by the hair, and then she pulled his head down close to her face, looking deep in his eyes. The inherent darkness in her spirit was so tangible, Rodney thought if he looked too deeply into her eyes, he'd be swallowed up by it. Did the mythical Medusa have eyes like that, he wondered, but then stopped when he remembered that Medusa's gaze could turn men into stone. Well, he didn't feel like stone, but his life felt pretty damned rocky at the moment.

Conteale's darkness took on a sadistic glint and Rodney swallowed in fear. Her voice was menacing as she whispered, "I told you not to try to escape. You have disappointed me. Now, I will have to torture you."

"Torture?" he asked with a gulp, wondering what kind of torture could be worse than that damned control bracelet.

"Yes, it involves tying you to my bed, with rope, and feathers, lots of feathers. Have you ever been tortured with feathers? It is true agony."

Rodney gulped again. Now, he knew exactly what could be worse and he was terrified. If the decision was up to him, he'd rather tell her to activate the control bracelet continuously until he died, especially if it meant she could never touch him again. 

"I – I don't know," he stammered, searching for words. Sheppard and the others were depending on him to save the day. With that in mind, he whispered with a little more encouragement in his voice, "I've never done anything like that before."

"I will show you many things, Mac-Kay, many decadent pleasures."

She kissed him again before turning back to Boneys. "You heard what I said to him. Follow my orders implicitly. If he does something that would disappoint me, you too will suffer."

Boneys sputtered, "Yeah, but – but what if he does something to the equipment, or the mines, or even the ship? I'm not an engineer. I don't know about those things. That guy knows more about fixing things than all of us put together."

She smiled again. "No, I don't expect you to check his work, but I do want you to watch his every move and I want him to remember you are watching him, too. If you are constantly looking over his shoulder, he'll think twice about doing something he shouldn't. And the memory of the agony that my control bracelet can bring should end any further thoughts of unsanctioned activity, isn't that right, my darling Mac-Kay?"

Rodney nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, of course, whatever you say."

She smiled with deep satisfaction, but then was distracted by the beeping sound of a communique. She stepped to a computer screen and activated it. Meanwhile, Rodney's heart was pounding. She had fallen for his plan. He'd meant for the small device to be found after spying the hidden camera by the recycling unit, along with several others, and he just used them to his advantage. From now on, he had to be especially careful when working on his real plan. 

He had a feeling Conteale would want to search him after he returned from the mines. By allowing her to find the medical scanner, he'd hoped she wouldn't search him further. After all, he still had that packet of crystals he'd slipped into his pants as he'd walked back to Conteale's office. If S'moa had become more aggressive with her groping, he would have been found out, but now he was getting a better idea of how her mind worked. 

"Hetat, I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon," S'moa said with a captain's arrogance as she faced the monitor.

The man's face was distorted with several scars, presumably war wounds of some sort. His voice also sounded scarred as well. "We need those Benji crystals by the end of the week or else I'll go somewhere else for them."

"I told you we'd have them for you and we will. Will two days be good enough?"

The man smiled. "Yes. Contact me when you are in route."

The screen went dark. When she tuned back to Rodney, she said, "Okay, Mac-Kay, you've still got more work to do and so do I. I will see you later at dinner."

She stepped to the table that was set with a variety of food and picked up a piece of fruit, tossing it to him. "That will have to keep you until dinner, my darling. We will dine later to satisfy our hunger, and then we will satisfy other appetites."

Rodney caught the fruit easily with one hand, but almost fumbled it as her words sunk in. He tried to smile, but he was sure all that came across was fearful meekness. She laughed out loud at his expression and gestured for him to leave, but he didn't step away. His hands wouldn't stay still from nervousness, so he folded his good arm around his broken one and said, "Um, I'll need the interface device to access the main mining apparatus."

He tried to look nonchalant as he waited for her reply. Without that device, his plan was sunk. She reached into her pocket and held it up for him to see. "Boneys, you watch his every move, and I mean his every move. I want this back in thirty minutes. That should be more than enough time to repair the production apparatus."

Rodney nodded as he took the device from her hand and turned to leave. Boneys stepped aside, so Rodney could lead the way out. Rodney started walking, but then looked down at the fruit in his hand, his mouth drooling at finally having food close enough to bite into, but stopped himself. He swiveled back to face her. "Do you know if this fruit related to citrus in any way?"

Conteale chuckled. "You say the strangest things, my darling." She turned away from him, moving toward her desk. "Thirty minutes."

Boneys pushed him a little to get him moving. As they left the room, Rodney looked at the fruit in his hand again. He decided he'd lost his appetite, and it probably wouldn't come back as long as he was forced to spend time with Medusa.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Okay, Forbes, check your connection now," Radek said as he picked up his tablet computer again.

Lorne stood close behind Radek. When Radek saw the information he need, he smiled and straightened so quickly, he almost head butted Lorne. Luckily, the major had good reflexes and moved back just in time. 

"Oh, sorry," Radek said with mild irritation. "This would be easier if you weren't literally standing over my shoulder."

"Oops. Sorry about that, Doc," Lorne replied. He backed up a couple of steps and asked, "I take it that did the trick?" 

Radek smiled. "Yes, I believe so."

Lorne looked again at Radek's computer display. "Then, all these gizmos are gonna work together to catch that critter the way you want them to?"

"It appears so." Radek sighed as if he'd been suddenly relieved of a burden he hadn't know he'd been carrying. So much was riding on the success of this plan and in getting the stargate to work again. "That is the general idea. What these gizmos will do is incapacitate the creature by using reverse polarity of the –"

Lorne held up a hand. "No need to explain any more, Doc. I don't need to know exactly how it's going to work. I'll leave that stuff to you."

Radek fiddled with a dial on a nearby monitor and called to one of his coworkers. "Morrow, we need a higher output on that relay." The short, squat Dr. Morrow nodded and made the adjustment.

"Okay, I believe we are about ready to begin. LaSalle, are you ready on your end?" he asked of the other group of engineers.

"Yes, Doctor, we are ready."

Lorne looked to Radek. "Teyla, is that a go for you, too?"

"Affirmative, Major."

Radek took a deep breath. "And we have confirmation that the creature is still on our projected course, so all we need to do is wait for it to get closer to us in order to ensnare it. Okay, then – "

Dr. Kline's nasal-toned voice interrupted their conversation. "Dr. Zelenka, there is a problem in the control room that needs your attention. We can't stabilize one of the power relays. Until we do, all work here will stop. Could you please come here right away?"

Radek balled his hands into fists of frustration. He now had an inkling of why McKay always grumbled about being pulled in so many direction at one time, but McKay seemed to handle it much better than he did. "Thomas, we are just about to begin here."

This time, Kline's tone was more emphatic. "Radek, I'm really worried about the feedback we are getting here. It's very unstable. I am afraid to let it go for very long."

"Have you tried – "

"Yes, yes, of course, we've tried all the tricks we know. We need you here – "

Dr. Morrow spoke up, "Radek, this exercise is very straightforward. Your presence here, while welcomed, is not mandatory. Go ahead and help Thomas. We've got things under control here."

Radek sighed. "Very well. Just be sure all of you keep a safe distance away from the Madj."

"You sound like my mother. Go and we'll report in when we are done."

Radek looked at Lorne and nodded. "Call me if there are any questions." 

He scooped up his computer and left without looking back, grumbling under his breath as he went. How does McKay do all this, plus his own research, along with the off planet missions with Sheppard's team? No wonder the man never sleeps.

"You better get home soon, Rodney, or else I'll go through that gate myself to pull you back here," he muttered as he got into the transport and selected the station nearest the control room.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Rodney worked with Boneys watching over his shoulder. It was irritating, but he knew it was better for his plan if Conteale had some level of false security. He remembered a quote from one of his physics professors, _"Patience is a bitter tree, but its fruit is sweet."_

Well, Rodney never had much use for patience, but when his plan finally reached fruition, his satisfaction at besting Conteale would be very sweet indeed. He heard Boneys yawn and he smiled inwardly. All he had to do was finish one more connection and he'd have Conteale's ship ready to lock down whenever he wanted. He had just reached forward to make the final link when a hand snaked out and grabbed his forearm. 

Looking up in startled surprise, he saw Boneys give him a toothy grin. "I don't know much about a starship's control relays, but I do know affecting that juncture will bring everything to a standstill, so I don't think you really want to do that. The captain would have your ass in a sling, along with mine."

Rodney jerked his hand away from Boneys, sputtering for a moment as he stalled, trying to come up with a convincing lie, but Boneys spoke again before he could say anything. "I might not be a fancy engineer who knows everything about computers and machines, but I ain't all dumb either."

The little man smiled. It was obvious Boneys had more experience with the ship's systems than he'd indicated all day long. Rodney sat up a little straighter, still trying to think of a resolution that didn't involve Conteale and pain, or worse, death. He waved a hand in the air. "How did you – I mean, I don't know what you are talking about."

Boneys shook a finger at Rodney. "Keeping Conteale from commanding her ship will put her in a very nasty mood."

"So, what you are going to do about it?" Rodney asked angrily, deciding to opt for honesty, instead of any further denials. That way, he didn't have to keep track of his lies.

"What do you think I'll do about it?" Boneys sneered and looked to the door. "The captain has eyes everywhere. If I don't tell her, I'm a dead man and if I do, you're dead. Guess which option I'm going for?"

Rodney gazed into the man's hard, bitter stare and sighed. He thought he'd planned everything so perfectly. So much for grandiose plans. Now, he'd been caught red-handed and all of his marvelous schemes were going to tumble down around him. He was going to fail the villagers, but worse, he was going to fail Sheppard and Ronon, and that hurt the most.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	13. Chapter 13

John sat back, closing his eyes and leaning the back of his head against the wall behind him. Ronon was speaking with the villagers a short distance away. Ronon asked, "So, Denaz, you think it might have been this – Death Claw creature – that attacked the people at the ancestral ring?"

John opened his eyes enough to see the small group gathered around Ronon. With his question, they had started arguing quietly amongst themselves. Denaz spoke again, raising his hands in an obvious effort to get the others to listen to him. "It's possible. The Death Claw is said to be invisible and its attack swift and deadly."

"And it's also supposed to exist deep in the heart of the mine, so what was it doing all the way out there at the ancestral ring?" another man asked.

"What else could it have been?" Denaz responded. "We have no other predators like that."

"What if the Sinomeans brought it with them?"

Casea came over to John with a rough hewn bowl as the conversation continued. She gave him a tired smile and held out the bowl. "It's cold and has little flavor, but you need to eat."

John took the bowl and sniffed at it. The very smell of it made his stomach cramp even more. He set the bowl on the ground beside him and slid an arm around his waist to brace himself against the cramps. He hoped the movement seemed casual enough not to be noticed by Casea. "I think I'll pass right now, but thank you."

She sat beside him, her movements slow and weary. Her head dipped down and she pulled a folded cloth from a pocket. "Here, try this. The denobian root helps with stomach problems and there's some nutritional value to it, too."

John looked down to see what looked to be a cross between a carrot and a mushroom lying inside the cloth when she opened it up. He looked up at her and frowned at the broken pieces of yellowish plant suspiciously. He took one and sniffed at it. She nodded and gestured with her hand as she said, "It will help with the cramping and nausea."

Still frowning, he nibbled on one corner. He was surprised to find it tasted much better than it looked. He was surprised once again at how quickly the medicinal root began to work, easing the churning of his upset stomach. 

"Let it linger in your mouth before swallowing," she said, exhaustion marking her drawn features.

He closed his eyes in relief and said softly, "Thanks."

After a moment, he asked, "Where did you find this?"

"It grows here inside the mines. We've come across a wealth of it. The heat of the underground stream and the self-contained nature of the mine tunnels are a perfect breeding ground for it, but I haven't seen much of it until today. Here, take another bite."

John did, and then leaned back against the wall. He asked, "What's this Death Claw they're talking about?"

Casea shook her head as her gaze lingered on the others while they talked. "The Death Claw is a story the elders tell the children to keep them out of the mines."

She seemed to hesitate, so he waited. She sighed with exhaustion and continued after a moment, "And perhaps it is not just a story."

John looked at her more closely. "Why do you say that?"

She brushed some loose locks of hair away from her face. The nervous gesture wasn't lost on John. "The attack Ronon described at the ancestral ring could have been done by a Death Claw. It supposedly haunts in the mines. It is said it can live outside of them for a short time. When it attacks, it is fast and deadly, killing within the blink of an eye."

John frowned. "Do you think it's still out there?"

"Perhaps, but I'd be more worried about being in the mines than out on the surface. The Death Claw or Madj needs to stay close to the Benji crystals, otherwise its danger grows. If it is a Madj, it will be drawn back to this place and our lives will be in even greater peril."

She glanced around them, her gaze distant. "Perhaps there's something in the Sinomean's mining operation that have disturbed their slumber. I'm afraid if it is a Death Claw, many more will die before it sleeps again." 

John went to look at her and moved his head a little too quickly, making his vision blur. He rubbed his forehead in irritation. The headache he'd had earlier was back. And Casea must have noticed it, because in the next moment, she was kneeling in front of him, checking his eyes. 

"Any more dizziness?" she asked quietly as she rocked back on her heels.

"Not much."

She gave him a stern look. "Why do I think not much to you would mean a great deal to me?"

John smiled innocently. "I don't know where you would get ideas like that."

She gave him a quick smile and said, "I need to look at your arm."

He paused. "Why? It's fine."

When she sighed, he noticed how really tired she seemed. The villagers had been prisoners of the Sinomeans for the better part of a week, and the drain was obvious in all of them, so he just lifted the edge of his black t-shirt, so she could take a better look at his upper arm. "See, it's fine."

Casea peered intently at the area where the wound had once been, but then she reached forward. Her fingers brushed over the smooth skin of his arm where the life threatening infection had been only hours before. "The wound remains healed. That is good. It is unfortunate that the treatment could not take care of your other injuries at the same time."

"Do you think it's taken care of the poison, too?" he asked, his voice softer now.

She paused in thought. "While you are stronger now, I suspect you are still feeling some of its effects, such as the nausea and stomach cramps, dizziness and weakness. They could be symptoms of your other injuries or the poison just working more slowly than it had been before."

"Well, that's encouraging," he said wryly as he handed her the remainder of the denobian root. "Look, I'm fine."

He took a deep breath and started to get to his knees, intending to stand. Her hand on his arm stopped him. "It is too soon for you to be moving around."

"If we are going to escape from this hell hole, I need to be preparing for it." 

John grunted, avoiding the intense gaze he knew she had to be directing at him. He started to force himself up from his knees, but faltered. Casea grabbed him as he swayed. Without a word, he slid back down to his sitting position against the wall. 

"As I said, it is too soon for you to be moving around," she said softly.

He gritted his teeth together and met her gaze. "I can't just sit here forever." 

She didn't reply right away. "No, I suppose not, but I can keep you resting until there's no choice in moving."

John looked across the room at the others where they rested and went silent for a few moments. "Can you do this healing thing more than once if you have to?"

Casea's eyes widened. "On the same patient? As in yourself?" 

She shook her head with pronounced apprehension, and then met his gaze. "It is not recommended, especially for someone in your weakened condition. I feared for you even as the healing was taking place this time. The strain of the crystals on your system was almost too much for you. I honestly don't think you're strong enough for another try."

John sighed and rolled his head slightly. "Well, if the alternative is death anyway, I say go for it."

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then patted him on the shoulder. "Let's not rush into anything. It would be more prudent to see how you do before making any decisions. You should keep this with you, just in case," she said, placing the root in his hand.

"Fair enough." 

He wanted to press the point, but decided against it. Casea slowly slumped against the wall of the mine with his acceptance, closing her eyes as if the conversation had taken much from her. John looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I will be. I am just weary after the two healings."

He watched her closely as she rested her head against the wall. She went silent and John let her rest. His thoughts wandered to Rodney. Rodney had seemed confident that he could pull off their escape, but this was from the same man who had said he could control the energy weapon on Doranda when he couldn't. John frowned and he forced that incident from his mind. 

The bottom line was that he trusted Rodney to do as he promised regarding the escape. They had little other choice. Now, if only John could get his body to the point where he could trust it, too. He paused, taking another bite of the root. Maybe there was something they could do to help their situation until McKay returned for them. He had to talk to Ronon.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Rodney's mouth went dry as he stared at Boneys. He rubbed at his broken arm in a fit of nervous irritation. "Oh, go ahead. Tell her. Get us all killed! It would be a fitting ending for one hell of a screwed up mission!"

When Boneys didn't move away to contact Conteale, Rodney looked up at him in confusion. "What? Aren't you going to inform her royal highness?"

Boneys smiled, and then shrugged. "Maybe we can talk ourselves a deal that'll have both of us happy in the end."

Rodney was instantly on the alert. "What do you mean?"

"I was shanghaied just like you were just over a year ago. That's how Conteale normally gets her crew. Most don't complain cuz she pays good, and then there's the sex. You don't know what you're missing. That woman is insatiable and she wears out her lovers faster than – "

Rodney held up a hand and said, "Stop! Don't say another word. I do not want that mental picture inside my head!"

After a moment, he lowered the hand as he eyed Boneys in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Boneys shrugged. "You haven't spent time with her."

Rodney shuddered and shook his head. "No, no, no. That's okay. I think that's one pleasure I can live without." 

He blinked, trying to clear his thoughts of anything involved with Conteale's sexual habits. "So, she keeps everyone in line with the money, sex and control bracelets?"

Boneys nodded. "Once you learn to follow her orders, you almost forget about the bracelets."

Rodney felt his eyes bulge. "Almost? That's the craziest damned thing I've ever heard of!"

Boneys looked a little insulted. "Yeah, well, we all do some crazy things in this life to survive!"

Boneys frowned, and then rolled his shoulders, apparently reining in his anger. "I figure you're smart enough to get these bracelets off of us, so we can escape before she knows what's happening."

Rodney shook his head. "The best I can hope for is to deactivate the relay on the bracelets, using the interface device in the same way I set up the command to deactivate the ship's command functions when I'm ready. We'll need tools to get the bracelets themselves off."

"But you can do it?"

Rodney nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Boneys smiled brightly, but then his expression darkened. "Just as long as you remember you won't get anywhere without my help."

Rodney's gaze narrowed. "Your help?"

"You might have the interface device and know how to use it, but you'll need me to get your friends free. Once you get me control of the other ship."

Rodney's head went up. "What other ship?"

"The one on the other side of the crystal packaging area. Conteale keeps several smaller ships to use for short range work, but there's only one on the planet right now. The rest are parked in orbit above the planet."

Rodney looked at Boneys closely, assessing the man's honesty. A tiny voice inside Rodney said he should use Boneys to help in the escape, but a more cynical part of him eyed the Sinomean suspiciously. "How can you help?"

Boneys smiled. "The rest of the crew will trust me to pass along an order. And having me around will give you free run of the place – up until the time Conteale finds out – and that will be a very good thing for you. But we won't have long, so if you want to do this, we need to move fast. We've already wasted ten of Conteale's thirty minute time limit."

Rodney looked at his watch and swore under his breath. He didn't trust the man, but he didn't have much choice. "Let's do it."

He finished the last connection that he had started before Boneys interrupted him, and then paused, snapping his fingers together rapidly. "I can buy us a little more time, but I'll need to access Conteale's surveillance system first."

Boneys rocked back on his heels, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "That's like asking for the impossible."

"Nothing's impossible when it comes to me and computers, especially with this little baby." He waved the interface device in Boneys' face.

Boneys rubbed his tongue over his lower lip. "You're a mite shy on modesty, aren't you?"

Rodney moved quickly, barely paying attention to Boneys now that he had committed himself to a plan of action, speaking with a distracted air, "I have none whatsoever. Now, shut up. As you pointed out, we only have a limited window of opportunity and I plan on making the most of it." 

Within seconds, he brought up the surveillance system's main menu. Boneys had been right; he couldn't get into the system the typical way, but then Rodney didn't do typical. After a few moments, he looked to Boneys. "Okay, I've deactivated the control bracelets, and I have a repeating video loop of several key positions such as the entrance to the cavern where the prisoners are being kept, the weapons locker, along with the way in and out of the mine's entrance. Now, it's time for us to go."

Boneys frowned at him. "Just like that?"

Rodney nodded with impatience. "Yeah, just like that. Keep your weapon ready. If anyone asks where we are going, you can tell them Conteale said to take me back into the mine to work."

Boneys pulled his gun and checked its ammo. "Okay, the weapons locker is on our way. I'll feel better with more firepower, but if Conteale gets wind of this before we're ready, it's gonna get ugly."

Rodney sighed as he retrieved the interface device and said, "I rarely have events fall into place the way they are supposed to. I don't know why, but it's always got to be nail-biting, heart-pounding, end of the world stuff with me."

Boneys eyed him strangely as they moved toward the weapons locker. "That's not exactly the kind of news I want to hear," Boneys said as he opened the locker door. 

"What can I say? I lead a very stressful life." Rodney shrugged as he paused in thought. "And yet, I am still alive, so I guess I must be doing something right. Okay, just grab as many weapons as you can and follow me."

Boneys started stuffing spare weapons into his clothes, but Rodney stopped him with an outstretched hand and smiled. "Wait." 

Rodney recognized their weapons sticking out of a duffle bag on the floor of the locker. 

The bag didn't have everything, but it did have a couple P-90s, 9-mils, Ronon's blaster, and some tac vests. He handed the duffle bag over to Boneys. "Here, carry this."

Boneys didn't move. "Why do I have to carry it?"

Rodney put a hand on his hip and sighed with irritation. "Because I'm the brains of this operation, and you're the brawn." 

Boneys frowned, but took the bag and followed Rodney. He stopped after a moment. "What about my ship?"

Rodney didn't pause to look at him. They were running out of time and there was still a lot left to do. He spoke over his shoulder as he walked away, and not in a nice tone, as he said, "You'll get your ship when we have the escape route for the prisoners cleared."

"How do we do that?"

Rodney hung his head. "Do I have to explain everything? You said you'd help. What I need for you to do is to tell the guys running the crystal harvesting apparatus that they've got to shut down the production line to do a full systems check, using every available man. Meanwhile, we free the prisoners."

"You think they'll fall for that?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes, because you will tell them the order comes from Conteale. But before that, we have to manufacture some distractions with the Benji crystals."

Boneys held up a hand. "Hey, be careful with those things. They can do major damage."

A light went on for Rodney and he reached into his pants, shifting to pull out the small packet of crystals from inside his underwear. "Oh, right, thanks for reminding me."

"Where the hell did those come from?" Boneys asked.

Rodney let his sense of smugness permeate his expression. "I slipped them into my pants when we were walking back from visiting the prisoners." He frowned for a moment, disturbed by a new thought. "I sure hope this won't affect future generations of little McKays... "

Boneys' expression went incredulous. "You're a braver man than I gave you credit for to carry those things around in your pants... or a lot more stupid. You're definitely a strange fellow."

"Yeah, yeah, so I've been told. Come on, let's get moving. I've got the stuff for the bombs started and hidden away. All I need to do is insert the crystals. It won't take five minutes to put them together."

Just under five minutes later, Boneys cleared his throat as he nervously held a radio mike in his hand. "Chelsey, production levels seem to be dropping. Conteale wants you guys to shut down things to do a full system check of the main apparatus."

"Looks like it's fine to me."

Boneys let his voice drop. "You want me to tell her you said that?"

There was a deep sigh. "We'll take it offline and check it out."

"Good."

He signed off and sighed. "What now?"

"You help me get these weapons down to the prisoners while I deposit a few well placed distractions along the way. Then the ship is yours."

Boneys spat on the ground. "Hell, you don't want much, do you?"

Rodney's gaze narrowed. "Do you want that ship or not?"

Boneys nodded reluctantly. 

"Okay, let's go. The sooner you do what I've asked, the sooner I'll release your ship from Conteale's control."

A hard glint came into Boneys' eyes. "What if I just killed you and took the device?"

Rodney took a step back, but then pushed forward. "Listen, you little weasel, you won't be able to lift off without a password from me and I'm not going to tell you what it is until my people are out of confinement."

Boneys rubbed his tongue over his teeth, acting like he had a bad taste in his mouth. After a long moment, he said, "Looks like you've got me. Let's go."

He picked up the weapons bag again and took off. Rodney grabbed the packet he'd just filled with small, but deadly crystal bombs, and cautiously followed him out.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Radek had just entered the control room when he heard Dr. Morrow's voice over the room's audio speakers. "Okay, Major Lorne, it's time for your team to get into position."

As he glanced her way, Dr. Weir nodded at Radek. He smiled back at her, but something undefined whispered in the back of his thoughts, leaving him unsettled and apprehensive. Dr. Morrow was a good man, but there were so many variables that had to be taken into account when dealing with this strange new creature.

Radek tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind as he stopped in front of Dr. Kline. The man scratched the back of his neck in frustration. "I'm sorry, Radek, but this has me stumped."

Radek shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Thomas. Let's see what's going on here."

Kline started to explain their problem, but part of Radek's attention was attuned to the exchanges between Morrow and the others. Something in the readouts Dr. Kline showed him caught his eye. He cursed under his breath. It was the same strange power feedback he'd seen with the stargate and control systems. Somehow in all the confusion following the gate's problems, this particular subsystem had never been rebooted. 

Radek practically growled at his own lack of thoroughness. "Simply shut that subsystem down and reboot. It's still reacting to the power overload. Once that is done, it should read correctly."

Kline nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course, that has to be it. I'm sorry I didn't see it for myself."

He patted Kline on the back. "No, Thomas, it was something I should have corrected already. Now, I am going back to the others. Call me if you have any more problems." 

He turned to leave as he said, "Dr. Weir, I'm going back down to – "

The radio chatter still playing over the control room's intercom was suddenly filled with a high pitched screech followed by screams and shouting. Dr. Weir looked over at Radek as he froze in place. 

When Major Lorne spoke next, his voice was full of pain and anger. "Teyla," he grunted, "send your team to block off corridors five and six heading to the east pier, but do not engage that thing! Dr. Weir, we've got injured, but you better hold off on sending any medical teams until we know for sure where that blasted mofo is heading."

Radek tapped a screen on his tablet computer, looking up to Dr. Weir. "The Madj is definitely on the move again."

She glanced to the console in front of her and looked up at him in alarm. "Do you think it will head back into the city?" 

"No, Major Lorne is right. It appears to be heading toward the east pier. I'm going back to the others – "

Dr. Weir stepped forward. "Radek."

Radek took a deep breath, but refused to be drawn into an emotional confrontation. He couldn't be battling his emotions and the ongoing emergency at the same time. "That should have been me with them. I need to go there now."

Dr. Weir stared at him for another moment, and then gestured to one of the beefy Marines stationed on guard duty in the control room. "Give Dr. Zelenka an escort, but if the situation looks the least bit dangerous, you are to bring him back here immediately, even if you have to carry him back."

Radek stopped, as if to argue, but then turned and took off with his tablet computer under one arm, shouting over his shoulder, "You better hurry up, if you're coming with me!"   
  
The Marine rushed after him. Sighing deeply, Elizabeth contacted the infirmary, "Carson, we have an emergency."

"Aye, I know. We can be with the injured in five minutes."

"I'm sending a team to escort you there. Don't you dare leave before they arrive," she said firmly.

"Your escort would be lovely, dear, just as long as they are here when we are ready to go. Lives are at stake, Doctor, and we can't be wasting time, not a second of it."

He signed off, not hearing Elizabeth's growl of frustration. She tried Lorne again. "Major, what is your status now?"

There was silence for a moment, and then Teyla's breathless voice came over the radio. "Dr Weir, our people are deployed as Major Lorne requested. I just now arrived back at the scene. Major Lorne is unconscious and he has a bad gash down the length of his back."

"And the others?"

Again, there was silence. "The others... " She took a deep breath. "They – they all appear to be dead. All of them."

Elizabeth closed her eyes at the news, more out of empathy for Radek than anything else. This news would devastate him. She thought about calling Radek back, but it would be pointless. Radek's engineers would still be dead and there was nothing she could do to change that fact. 

Instead, she turned to the technician beside her. "I'm going down there."

A Marine stepped to her side. "Major Lorne gave orders to escort you wherever you go, ma'am."

Elizabeth nodded, eyeing the Marine as he led the way out of the control room. He looked barely old enough to be out of high school, let alone here in another galaxy, but his service record was impressive with high scores in all forms of combat readiness. Still, she didn't let it lull her into a sense of false security. 

As she walked to the transporter, she took slow deep breaths, preparing herself for the calm support that Radek would need once he found out about the dead engineers.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	14. Chapter 14

Carson wandered onto the balcony outside the control room carrying two cups of coffee, one for himself and the other for Elizabeth. She stood, watching the moon rise in the distance. Its silvery glow reflected upon the relatively still waters down below. Elizabeth appeared serene until Carson actually got a good look at her face. Her cheeks were damp with tears. 

He sighed as he realized she was grieving for the dead engineers, and probably for the others lost since this nightmare had begun. His morgue contained more bodies than it had housed since the first siege with the Wraith. He prayed he'd seen the end of death for a while, but he still had critical patients in his care whose conditions were precarious at best.

For a moment, Carson wondered if he should intrude upon Elizabeth's privacy, but then a fierce look of determination came into her expression as she wiped at her cheeks and her strong resolve touched his heart. He walked up beside her and handed her the steaming cup of coffee without saying a word. 

She smiled and took the mug, inhaling its rich scent before taking a sip. Her voice was quiet as she said, "I screwed up, Carson. I should have had more teams out there with the engineers."

"From what I understand, luv, if more had been there, it's likely more would be dead now." He toyed with his coffee mug again before he met her gaze. "I just came out of surgery. Morrow didn't make it."

She frowned and nodded, staring back out over the ocean. He paused for a minute, watching the water with her. "Any word on our little beastie?"

She nodded. "They've got another fix on its location, but they are reexamining their protocols before another attempt is made."

"As long as that thing is safely away from the city's inhabitants, we need to take every minute necessary to safeguard success without any further incident."

Nodding her head, she looked at him and asked, "How are your other patients?"

"Some are holding their own. Others are improving. I did release Major Lorne earlier."

"Yes, I know." She gestured toward the conference room with her head. "He's in there with them right now." 

Carson rubbed his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "He's got moxey, I'll give him that. And he's very lucky the beast's claws mostly caught his flak jacket and not bare flesh. The thing cut him up pretty good, but it didn't take me too long to sew him back together again. Even adding in the bullet wound in his arm, he should be fine in a week or two."

"So, he's officially off active duty?"

Carson sighed. "Aye, I think he should be, but the Marines on this expedition seem honor bound to tough out any infirmity."

_Sounds exactly like someone else we know_ , he thought, seeing a certain Air Force Lt. Colonel in his mind's eye. He sighed. "The Major's okay for duty as long as he isn't going to be exerting himself unduly."

She nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Why aren't you in there with them now?" he asked softly, gesturing with his coffee cup.

"I needed some fresh air. Besides, they were ironing out decisions about the plan involving scientific and military expertise that didn't require my input."

Carson took a sip of his coffee and said, "Radek has taken the responsibility for the dead scientists fully upon his shoulders."

Elizabeth turned to look out over the peaceful waves. "He feels he should have been there, as if he could have done something to prevent – "

"Aye, I know." He glanced up at her. "What about the power problem with the gate? You know, the problem that drew Radek back to the control room in the first place?"

Elizabeth sighed. It was the heavy kind of sigh that settled over a person's soul and took root. Her voice was quiet, almost withdrawn as she said, "It seems it was to be related to the power overload that hit the gate, some type of residual energy that hadn't been cleared from the system yet. Radek recognized it right off and told them how to fix it. Carson, you should have seen his face when the team was attacked."

He studied his coffee cup for a long moment. "I honestly don't think there will be any way to keep him from participating when they try to trap the creature again."

She sighed again. "I know, so we better be pretty damned sure that plan is foolproof."

Her gaze went distant and he put a hand on her shoulder. "You're awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"

She took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. "There's this tiny voice inside of me wondering if we will get there in time to be of any help to John and the others. It's already been twenty-four hours and things sounded pretty crazy on their end right before the gate shut down."

She tapped her fingers on the railing and he stilled them by placing his hand over hers. "If there's anything I've discovered since I've been here, it's that Colonel Sheppard and his team have the tenacity to survive just about anything. Maybe not intact, but they weather one situation after another and they always come home."

She nodded as she straightened. "Let's hope their tenacity holds out a little longer."

The conference door opened and Teyla came out. "Dr. Weir, they are about to finalize things."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, Teyla. I'll be right there." 

As she turned, she motioned to Carson. "Come along, Carson, I might need your support."

He followed her into the room, moving to stand off to one side as she went right to work and asked, "What have you decided?"

Radek's gaze was downcast, avoiding Elizabeth's as he spoke in a quiet voice, "We shall attempt the trap again in a more confined location, with very little wiggle room for the Madj. I shall operate the controls myself, so it will be easier to know the exact moment I need to switch the polarity to set the trap."

Elizabeth's concerned expression met Carson's before returning to Radek. "And why is this plan better than the last?"

As soon as the words were said, Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to take them back, especially given the look of pained guilt in Radek's eyes. She put out a hand in the Czech's direction. "Radek, I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I won't allow anyone to place themselves in harm's way again without knowing exactly what will be happening."

Radek cleared his throat. "We underestimated the Madj's speed when it was confronted last time, and there wasn't enough time to react before the beast was upon them. We also had too many people in the area. Once we assemble the trap, everyone except Major Lorne and Teyla will leave. And if I am coordinating things on my end, all they will have to do is make sure the Madj is sent on the right course toward me. When it trips an electronic alarm, I will activate the reverse polarity and the Madj should be incapacitated."

Elizabeth frowned. "Then why have anyone there in the first place? Take the human factor out of the equation altogether and have the alarm activate the reverse polarity directly."

Radek sighed. "It's not that simple... there are rapid adjustments that have to be made and a computer program complex enough to do that would take a day or two to write, days we don't have to spare. I need to be there. It's the only way to ensure success."

He stepped closer to her. "The mistake we made last time was not leaving enough control in the hands of the man manipulating the field. Poor Dr. Morrow didn't have the leeway to make those changes, but I will. That accident won't be repeated."

Carson looked at him in concern. "Be careful, Radek, that little beastie can do more harm in the blink of an eye than a fully armed Wraith."

Radek nodded. "Then, it will be a good thing if we put it out of commission as quickly as possible, yes? I designed the trap, therefore I am the best qualified to understand what needs to happen and exactly when. I would gladly let McKay do it if he were here, but he's not."

Putting the subject on the back burner for a moment, Elizabeth asked, "Do you know where you will set the trap?"

"Yes, the creature's movements are most predictable when left alone. We've successfully tracked its progress for the past twenty minutes and projected ahead where it should be by the time we've got everything ready to go."

He glanced at his watch again. "Teyla and Major Lorne, if you would go ahead to make sure the barricade is in place by the time we get there." 

Elizabeth put up a hand. "Major Lorne, I understand you want to participate, but are you sure you are up for this?"

Lorne cleared his throat. He was a little pale and winced as he went to straighten his shoulders, but he kept his voice even as he said, "Yes, ma'am, I am." 

Elizabeth looked to Carson. Carson knew he'd regret it, but he nodded his reluctant assent. With that, there was very little discussion left to do. Lorne left with Teyla a minute later. 

Carson straightened as a thought struck him. "Well, if you are going to risk life and limb, Radek, the least you deserve is to have some medical assistance ready, if God forbid, something does go wrong."

Radek frowned. "Why would anything go wrong? The trap is sound. And you are needed more urgently elsewhere."

Carson smiled softly and put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you, son, but there's always the possibility of trouble in any mission. Besides, I need a break from the infirmary. I've been there so long, I can't remember what day it is. Dr. Kent and my staff can handle things for a few minutes without me."

Elizabeth nodded to Carson. "You're right. It's a good idea to have someone close, just in case, Radek. Get your medical bag, Doctor."

Carson smiled. "I'll meet you back here in ten minutes max."

Radek didn't look happy to have him there, but then Radek wasn't happy about anything right now. Carson knew why. Too many had died and that creature was still on the loose. It was time for things to settle down for Atlantis.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	15. Chapter 15

"Ronon, do you think the two of us could take out the guards on duty?" John asked in a low tone.

Ronon's head turned slightly as he assessed their situation. "Yeah, taking them out wouldn't be the hard part though."

John raised an eyebrow. "So, what would it be?"

Ronon pointed to the patch on the back of his neck. "I've been talking to the villagers. See the two towers on either side of the cavern entrance? Apparently, this is something the Sinomeans brought in after housing the villagers here. They contain proximity sensors and alarms. Anyone walking between those towers while they are active will get zapped."

John's eyes widened as he took in the cavern's entrance again. "No wonder they only need a few guards covering this whole group. That little wrinkle could be problematic."

He sighed and leaned his head back. "I know McKay said to watch for his signal, but I think we need to have a contingency plan in place."

Ronon rolled his neck as he thought. "Say we could disable proximity alarms, we still wouldn't want to use the guard's weapons. If Conteale caught on to us, all she'd have to do is zap us again, and that's something I don't want to repeat."

John grunted and said, "No argument there." 

He rubbed at his arm absently, but then noticed Ronon watching him, his gaze shifting from John's arm to look him straight in the eyes. Ronon asked, "You okay?"

John dropped his hand away. "Pfft, this? Compared to how I felt a few hours ago, this is nothing."

Ronon continued to eye him closely, making John frown. "What? Aren't you feeling any leftover pain?" he asked cautiously.

"No, not really," Ronon said with an unwavering gaze that irritated John.

John pursed his lips together, and then shrugged. "Well, I'm not either."

Ronon grunted. John was ready to protest again when something at the cavern's entrance caught his eye. As he watched, he saw the guards on duty stiffen as if shocked with electricity, and then fall to the ground. 

A moment later, McKay's head popped around the corner with a satisfied smile. He was followed by another Sinomean who entered the cavern with more caution. John remembered him from his visits to Conteale's office, which made John even more puzzled. The Sinomean touched a relay at the base of each of the proximity towers, and then bent down to check on the other downed men while McKay came over to John and Ronon. McMurphy had joined them by the time McKay arrived.

John was getting to his feet by then, though he had to place his hand on the wall behind him in order to stand. McMurphy tried to help him, but John shook his head and turned to McKay. 

"How the hell did you do that? I didn't see you until after they were down."

McKay smiled. "Conteale's little weapon zapper. It's all tied to this interface device," he said, waving it in the air. "We need to have one of these. Handy little things."

"Yes, and if someone else got their hands on it like you've done to Conteale, then the whole city would be screwed."

McKay started to argue, then blinked and sighed. "Well, there are down sides to every great invention."

John knew he was moving too slowly and that the others were watching him with concern, especially Ronon who hovered beside him. John gave him a glare for playing mother hen, causing Ronon to put up his hands and back off a bit. 

Turning back to McKay, John said, "I thought you were going to give us a warning, a signal... something."

McKay frowned. "Things didn't exactly go as planned."

A few of the villagers had joined them by then. John muttered, "Why can't we ever have a plan that goes off without a hitch?" 

McKay waved his hand to rush John along. "Yeah, yeah, get over it already. Conteale will know something's up in three minutes – or when the distractions begin – which should be at about the same time. Luckily, she won't be able to do much about it. I've disabled her control bracelets, as well as the ship controls and communications."

"I always said you were a good fellow to have around," John said as McKay handed both him and McMurphy a P-90, and then gave Ronon his weapon.

John started to take a step forward, only to sway with dizziness. McKay had to reach out to steady him. "You sure you're ready for this?"

John nodded, slipping out of McKay's grasp. "Yeah, I've been ready to leave this place ever since they first captured us." 

Rodney turned to the guard that had helped them. "You've got three minutes to get to your ship. Here's the password."

He handed the man a piece of paper. "This is scribble. What's it say?"

McKay sighed. "It's Medusa. M-E-D-U-S-A. Now, get out of here. It's going to get pretty crazy when those bombs start going off."

The man nodded gratefully and left. McKay ran to the entrance of the cavern and looked in both directions. He started waving the villagers to go on ahead, shouting to McMurphy, "Go on ahead. We turn right the next time the passageways intersect and then left."

The sergeant nodded and took off, jogging ahead of the others. John looked back to make sure the ones behind him were moving, too. "Make it fast, people." 

He lowered his voice, speaking to just Ronon and McKay, "We need to make sure Conteale and her guys don't pull up anchor and leave before we get a chance to bring in the troops."

McKay smiled and started to walk. "Don't worry. She won't." 

John frowned at him, not moving until Rodney explained himself.

"Oh ye of little faith," McKay admonished as he took John by his right arm and got them heading forward again. "I said I disabled her ship, that means it won't work. What? Did you suddenly go stupid while I was away?"

John cursed and pulled his arm away while McKay continued, "It paid off being ordered to fix her equipment, because it gave me the opportunity to disable key systems. After that, I got into the subsystems and certain other locations to wreak havoc at a time of my choosing."

The cavern shook as a distant explosion rocked the mine. "Oops," McKay said quietly, squinting at his watch. "Okay, that started a little ahead of schedule. Well, we still have plenty of time to get out of here before it really starts to rock and roll."

John smiled as they hurried along. "Your distractions?"

McKay nodded and said, "The first of several. I was able to put those Benji crystals to good use."

John paused to look back, still worried about any stragglers. "You sound proud of yourself," he said.

"You bet your sweet ass, I am. That romantic encounter Conteale had planned for me at the end of their diurnal cycle will never happen, no thanks to you, fearless leader."

John grunted, rubbing his forehead. "Hey, I've been a little busy myself... but I don't get it. How did you get away from her?"

McKay smiled as he glanced back to make sure everyone was still moving. "We've been playing a little game of cat and mouse, her and I. Well, maybe, it's more like a chess match. No, on second thought, I guess it's cat and mouse, but this mouse just ate the cat. She said I was smart, but she never had a clue about just how smart this little mouse really was – or is. Hmm, I think I just got lost in my metaphors – " 

John put up a hand to silence him. "Forget the damned metaphors and let's just get the hell out of here."

Another explosion rocked the mines, causing dust and debris to fall on everyone. McKay frowned as he glanced back. "I may have over-calculated the size of my distractions a tad."

John grunted. "So much for being really smart."

McKay's eyes bulged and he put a hand in the air. "Ah, come on now!"

John didn't react. "Stop yapping and keep these people moving, McKay. Wait. Aren't we heading in the wrong direction?"

"No. We're intentionally going deeper into the mine. They'll be expecting us to leave the same way we came in. I figure that will buy us some additional time for the rest of my distractions to go off."

John nodded. "Yeah, yeah, just as long as it works as planned."

McKay shot John a dirty look. "I was right, there never is any pleasing you."

John replied with a roguish grin, "Hey, I said you were a good fellow to have around. What more do you want?"

Another blast caused more dust and debris to rain down on them. 

"A long hot shower would be nice," McKay muttered.

"And you'll get one eventually, if you don't kill us first."

At least the explosions were starting to sound further away as they went deeper into the bowels of the mine, but the next explosion caught John by surprise and he stumbled. McKay and Ronon stopped, waiting to give him a chance to recover, which only made John angrier. He glanced to McMurphy at the head of the group who had started back towards them.

"Damn it, McKay, we've got to get these people out of here. Who knows when Conteale and her men will show up! You're the one with the map. Lead the way!"

McKay stiffened, as if remembering something important. He glanced down an adjoining passageway. He handed Ronon the map, pointing as he said, "We are here. We have to go there. Do like Sheppard said and keep the group going. And make sure he stays with you."

He started heading back the way they'd just come when John called to him. "Damn it, McKay, where the hell are you going?"

"Something's not right. Just covering all the bases. No harm in being thorough, you know. And don't worry, I'll be back with you before you know it."

John cursed again as Rodney disappeared in the crowd of villagers making their way forward. McMurphy had reached them by then and was looking at John in confusion. "Sir, I'm not sure which way to go from here."

John shook his head in frustration before glancing to Ronon. In a low voice, he said, "Ronon, do like McKay said and keep these people moving. Don't stop for anything until they are all safe." 

He paused, looking to McMurphy. "As far as the chain of command goes, Ronon's in charge until you hear from me. He's the expert when it comes to running and tracking, so we're in his element at the moment. I'm going to see if I can help our mad scientist. He has a tendency to be overconfident at the worst possible moments."

McMurphy didn't look happy with his orders, but he nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Sheppard," Ronon said with warning in his tone. 

He caught John by the arm, the one that had been gashed many hours before, and John visibly flinched. Ronon let go of him right away, but John knew Ronon had seen his reaction. John took a deep breath and spoke with as much authority as possible. "Just go on. That's an order. Like Rodney said, we'll be right behind you."

He didn't wait for Ronon's response and took off heading in McKay's direction. Deep in John's gut, apprehension started to jingle a warning and his own words came back to him. _"Why can't we have a plan that goes off without a hitch?"_

He hoped that, maybe for once, McKay's grand scheme would work out without any additional problems. That thought went out of his head when another blast caused some heavier debris to fall, and he dove against the wall for protection. When it was over, he was left dizzy, breathless, and aching. 

This one was a lot louder than the others. In his muddled thinking, one name whispered for attention above everyone else. This had to be McKay's doing, whether it was intentional or not. He straightened and pushed forward. He had to get his act together if he was to ensure McKay's safety.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Rodney rushed in the opposite direction, moving past the fleeing villagers as they went deeper into the mine. He briefly wondered if he'd lost his mind as the last of them went by. What the hell was he trying to do? He wasn't James Bond, out to save the masses all by himself. He was merely a scientist and definitely out of his element. 

Someone called his name. When he turned, he was surprised to see Denaz running towards him. "Is there something I can do to help?" the young man asked breathlessly.

Grateful for the company, Rodney nodded. He handed Denaz a small packet. "I didn't hear any of the bombs going off in this direction. Call me overly cautious, but I want to make sure Conteale and her vultures can't come this way. A few more carefully placed blasts should ensure it. Stay here and hold onto this for me while I put the last three against the struts of a couple of support beams. I'll detonate them as we head back to the others," he said as he left to go a short distance around a turn in the passageway.

Rodney scratched his head. _The other bombs down this branch of the tunnel should have gone off by now._

There must be some type of malfunction. It was the only explanation. The two he had already planted would make up for missing bombs, he thought, but then a bullet slammed into the wall above his head, making him whip around in surprise. There, with weapons pointed at him, was a group of Sinomeans armed to the teeth.

Rodney turned in Denaz's direction and shouted, "It's the raiders! Run!"

Rodney knew he only had seconds before the Sinomeans would be upon him. He hoped Denaz had enough time to get clear of the blast area. He looked at the first bomb that he'd positioned. The second one was only a few feet away from him. Too close. He detonated the first one with a touch of a button instead. 

The passageway collapsed as planned, filling the corridor with a cloud of dust. Rodney coughed as he tried not to breathe in the thick stuff. He looked at the detonator in his hand, wishing he was brave enough to set off the one next to him, ridding the galaxy of a vile group of thieves and murderers in the process, but he wasn't. Instead, he turned and put his hands up in surrender. 

Kyson took the detonator away from him and chuckled. "We found your other bombs on the way here and disarmed them already."

He gave Rodney a hard look. "Conteale was looking for you earlier. I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you again, but she won't be happy at all, once she hears about the escaping prisoners." 

Turning to one of his men, Kyson said, "Check him for other weapons."

All Rodney had with him was his Beretta, the interface device, and the last crystal bomb. Kyson put the crystal bomb, along with the interface device, into separate pockets, and passed the Beretta to another man to keep. Judging by the lack of interest, Rodney figured Kyson had no idea what the interface device was. Kyson turned to the others with him. "You men try to dig your way through that rubble to follow the others. I'm going to take this one back to the captain."

Rodney glanced back at Kyson once they had gone a short distance. "You know," he said, "I inactivated all of the control bracelets when I shut down your communications. What would you do with sudden freedom from Conteale's control?"

When Rodney glanced back, he saw hesitation in Kyson's expression, but then Kyson gestured for him to move forward with his weapon. His voice was low, but curious. "Where would I go? Conteale would kill me the instant she saw me."

Rodney smiled as he stood his ground. "Not necessarily. Not if we head back toward the gate to hide out in the woods until my people come back for us."

"What makes you think your people will come after all this time?" Kyson said as he finally came to a full stop.

Rodney stepped closer. "Because my people never leave a man behind. No matter what has happened on their end, no matter how long it takes, they will come back for us. You are welcome to return with us."

Indecision plagued Kyson as he took a deep breath. "Conteale will be waiting for word from me. We should keep moving."

"Are you insane? Why does she scare you so much?" he asked as he threw his arms out from his sides.

"Because he's been well trained to anticipate my actions," came Conteale's voice from behind them. She stepped out of the shadows with her weapon drawn. "Kyson, you stopped. You actually considered his offer."

Kyson's expression tightened in fear. "I was bringing him back to you. Honest, I was. He was just talking – "

Conteale fired once, killing Kyson instantly. Rodney spun around in disbelief. "Are you mad? Your employee turnover rate must be astronomical the way you kill your men without blinking!"

He knelt beside Kyson, as if to check the man for signs of life. Instead, he tucked the small explosive Kyson had confiscated into his arm sling. He really wanted to get the detonator and the interface device, too. They were so close he could almost touch them, but he knew Conteale would want the interface device, too, and search him for it the first chance she got.   
  
S'moa startled him as she approached and he got to his feet quickly, hoping she hadn't seen what he'd done. She sighed. "You've broken my heart, Mac-Kay. I trusted you and you stabbed me in the back."

Rodney stepped back a few steps with his hands raised in the air again. "That's-that's no reason to kill me without talking about it first."

S'moa smiled that heartless smile of hers. "I'm not going to kill you, my darling, but you will wish I had."

She put out her hand. "Give me the interface device."

Rodney grimaced, panic grabbing him hard. "No," he said, raising his chin.

She stepped closer, pressing her weapon hard into his ribs. As she did, he stammered, "I mean, no, I can't. I've hidden the device where you'll never find it. You can torture me, even kill me if you want, but there's no way you're getting it back. If you get your hands on it, you'll search for my friends and the others, only to kill them once you find them. Or escape without paying for your crimes. Either option is unacceptable."

"Are you lying to me now, Mac-Kay? You are not quite as transparent as you were earlier." 

She stopped and stared at him. "When did you find your back bone, my darling? It was your vulnerability that first attracted me to you. I don't like this rebellious nature. I'm afraid that after I get the interface device, I will have to break you of that nasty habit."

Rodney sighed deeply before he remembered something that made him puff out his chest again. "I've deactivated all of the control bracelets. Once your men realize that, you'll be on your own."

For the first time since he'd met her, he saw fear wisp across her expression. Her hand flexed around her weapon and Rodney closed his eyes, expecting to be shot any second. When nothing happened, he cracked his eyelids open enough to see Conteale standing right in front of him. 

She rolled her tongue around in her mouth like she had a bad taste there. "We are going back to my ship. I will make you tell me where you've hidden the interface, and then you will die by my hand."

Rodney frowned, frantically trying to think of a way to subdue her or at the very least, get away from her, but failed. It brought a little comfort that Conteale hadn't thought to check Kyson for the device. Not yet. That could buy him a few more minutes. Then, one of Kyson's men came running down the corridor, nearly colliding with them. 

The man took a step back when he saw Kyson's dead body lying on the ground in front of them. Conteale looked to him. "Where are the rest of the men and the prisoners?"

The man glanced back the way he'd come. "The prisoners got away. We can't get to them because of a cave in. I was just going to get more men and some equipment to move the rock, because the radios are out."

Conteale glared at Rodney. It was obvious that these men knew nothing about the status of the control bracelets. Rodney started to open his mouth when S'moa stepped closer, leveling the weapon at him. She looked back at the other man. "Do you know what happened to the interface device?"

The man's gaze darted down to Kyson's body and Conteale smiled. Rodney felt sick. There was no doubt about it now; he was a dead man. She bent down and retrieved the device, holding it with relief as she turned to her man again. "Go on, get the manpower and equipment you need. Once we find the prisoners, they will die a horrible death for causing me such trouble."

She looked at Rodney and her smile turned more sinister. "Their ends will be quick, but you will know a slow and agonizing death. Get moving, Mac-Kay. I have work to do."

Rodney sighed and turned toward the mine entrance, taking slow deliberate steps toward his eventual death. At least, he'd given the others a chance to survive. Maybe they would make a memorial in his honor. Posthumously, of course.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	16. Chapter 16

Another blast nearly knocked John off his feet. The fallen dust made the air thick and hard to see through, dimming the natural luminescence of the walls. Once he recovered, he started jogging again as renewed fear and adrenaline fueled his staggering motion. 

_Damn it, McKay, what have you done now?_

He pushed his way through the last of the panicked villagers until he reached Denaz. Something in the man's sad expression found its way into John's heart and squeezed hard. John forced himself to step closer to Denaz. The young man was covered with a layer of dust and debris, along with a few cuts. 

"Where's McKay?" John asked softly, his gaze darting ahead to the still hazy passageway.

Denaz shook his head, fiddling with the small packet in his hands. "The Sinomeans must have caught up with him. He asked me to hold this explosive for him, and then he shouted for me to run. I didn't know what to do, so I did what he said and ran. A moment later, he must have detonated the bomb. That was the last I saw of him. The passageway – it's completely blocked now."

John blinked in disbelief, and stumbled forward again. He stopped in his tracks when he came upon the rubble of the collapsed passageway. He stared without moving, his thoughts seeming as frozen as his body until he felt Ronon's hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. 

"John, can you hear me?"

John turned slowly toward Ronon, wondering why Ronon was there instead of leading the others away. He realized his movements were incredibly slow, but there was no way he could make himself move any faster. Shock was setting in, both physical and emotional. McKay had sacrificed himself to save them. It didn't seem possible that he'd never be irritated by that arrogant, obnoxious, soft-hearted genius again.

"Maybe we can... " He stepped up to the rubble and began moving rocks out of his path.

Ronon shook his head and planted himself at John's side. "Sheppard, there's no way to help McKay, even if he's still alive. Besides, Conteale and her men are waiting for us on the other side of these rocks. We've got to think of the villagers first and getting them to safety. I swear once that's done, I'll go hunt for McKay myself."

"He's not dead," John whispered, his voice strangely distant.

Ronon spoke again. "John, you can't help him. There's no way in hell we'd be able to get to him without heavy duty tools and machinery, and we don't have anything like that. McMurphy is guiding the villagers, according to the map McKay gave us. We need to catch up to them – "

John frowned, shaking his head. "I told him I'd get out of this. I promised him – "

Suddenly, John's horizon turned upside down as everything finally caught up with him. He dropped to his knees, sucking in as much air as he could. He was distantly aware that Ronon and Denaz had knelt beside him before he gave into the beckoning darkness. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

Lorne was pacing while Teyla leaned patiently against a wall when Radek and Beckett rounded a corner. Lorne stopped, and then stiffened when he noticed Beckett's presence and shook his head. "You aren't going with us, Dr. Beckett."

Radek pursed his lips together and said, "Yes, he is, but he's going to stay back well out of harm's way. Weir's orders."

Lorne shook his head. "He shouldn't be here at all."

Beckett put up a hand. "Neither should you, laddie, so let's just give it a rest and press forward."  
  
Tuning out their debate, Radek punched some keys on his tablet computer. The parameters of the trap were theoretically valid and the simulations had proven viable, but there was always the unknown factor. And Radek hated the unknown. After all, his plan was based on theory and supposition, which was hardly an adequate substitute for a solid foundation of facts. Still, he smiled at the results on his tablet computer and looked up at the others. 

"The sensors still have a fairly good reading on the Madj. Give me a second to enter its new coordinates."

As he did, Dr. Kline and a couple of other engineers walked down the corridor towards them. They stepped around a makeshift barricade that had been erected to help contain the Madj to the main corridor. Kline scratched nervously at his balding pate once they arrived. 

"It's ready, Radek," he said, but then he paused, as if summoning up his courage, "But I really think I should be the one to activate the trap. You are too valuable an asset for Atlantis to lose right now."

Radek smiled, but he was already shaking his head before he started speaking, "I appreciate your offer, Walter, but I must decline. You know the reason why I need to do this as well as I do. Go back and resume your work on the gate, your team is waiting for you. I'll be there as soon as we finish."

Kline nodded reluctantly and motioned to the others with him. "Don't make us wait too long," he said, patting Radek on the shoulder as he walked by him.

Radek nodded, but his thoughts were already moving ahead to the job at hand. He turned to Lorne. "Okay, everything is set. Once I reach my position, we will wait for the creature to pass by you. You will then activate your part of the trap. I'll initiate the reverse polarity and we should trap ourselves a Madj."

Lorne stared at him, chewing on his lower lip for a moment. "I still don't like this whole idea. You're too vulnerable."

Radek made some clucking noise as he waved away Lorne's concern. "We have no choice. We must capture the beast, but do not worry yourself. The infirmary is not one of my favorite places. No offense intended, Dr. Beckett." Radek smiled in Beckett's direction, and then at Lorne. "I will be very happy to hand over the reins of heroic bravery to you and Teyla once this is concluded."

Teyla gave him a brief smile, as if still worried about him. Finally, she nodded in reluctant agreement. "If we are to do this, then let us begin. We are wasting precious moments."

Radek waved them ahead. "Go on. I only need to do one more thing, and then I will get into place." 

Beckett started to follow them as they moved forward and Lorne put up a hand to stop him "Not you, Doc. There's no need for you to be on the front lines. One doctor in harm's way is more than enough for me."

Carson nodded, but then he looked to the others. "Understood, but I'll be right here if you need me. At least, let me walk with you to the barricade to make sure things are closed up tight on this side."

"Just as long as you move to the fall back position when we're done. That way, you'll be close enough to help if you're needed, but far enough away if there's trouble."

"Which way will you head?" Beckett asked, as if stalling, unwilling to be parted from the others. 

"We're going north," Lorne said, gesturing with his head. He paused and pointed the other way with his thumb. "Dr. Z will be going south."

Teyla put a hand on Beckett's shoulder and squeezed. "We will be fine, Carson. Please do not worry."

Carson sighed, but nodded. "I'll try, but there are times when I think I was born worrying."

Lorne moved around Teyla and glanced back at Beckett. "See you in a couple of minutes."

Radek looked at his tablet computer. Lorne nodded to Teyla and they moved away, going down the hall until they got to the barricade at the intersecting corridor and opened it up. Radek glanced at them and turned to Beckett, inadvertently allowing the physician to see a flash of his fear before he got it back under control. 

"I'm ready," he said with more bravery than he felt. 

Beckett put a hand on Radek's shoulder and leaned close as they started walking down the hallway to catch up with Lorne and Teyla. "Be careful, Radek." 

Meeting his gaze again, Radek nodded. He stepped through the barricade. Once he was on the other side, Lorne and Teyla closed up the opening. Lorne softly pounded twice on his side of the barricade. "All set, Dr. Beckett. Head on back."

Radek heard Beckett answer, "Okay, well, good luck then! I'll see you in a bit!"

As Radek walked away, he reviewed their plan, visualizing Lorne and Teyla's destination. Once there, they would position themselves behind another area of the barricade and wait for the Madj. 

A minute later, Lorne radioed, "Okay, Doc, we are ready to set the trap after it passes by."

Radek checked his tablet computer again. "And I am in position as well. Once our invisible friend is between us, I'll give you the signal. It just needs to get a little closer."

He stopped talking, surprised at how fast the Madj was moving down the corridor. Teyla spoke before Radek could say anything. "I detect the scent of ozone, Doctor. I believe it has passed our position."

Radek nodded, and then rolled his eyes, silently chiding himself. Of course, they couldn't see him. "Yes, Teyla, I agree. It's in place. Major Lorne, if you would activate the trap."

"Done," Lorne said quickly. 

Radek's eyebrows went up as he saw some massive power fluctuations. Whatever form of energy it was that surrounded the Madj, it was terribly erratic. For a moment, Radek was frozen with indecision, but then he caught a whiff of ozone himself and knew he had no time to waste. If he didn't act soon, the Madj would be upon him. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm reversing polarity now."

The readings on his monitors went crazy. The Madj was fighting the trap. The energy spikes were frightening enough that Radek considered releasing the trap, but that would negate all the work they'd done. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he adapted the parameters of the trap to accommodate the Madj's rapidly changing energy signature.

"Doc? Are you okay?" Lorne asked. "Did the trap work?"

Radek nodded. "Yes, but it's fighting to break free. Stay put. All of you. It's not safe to approach."

The energy readings went deep into the red, but the trap held, making Radek smile. They had the Madj right where he'd wanted it. He went to stabilize the containment field, but was puzzled when the readings refused to go back into the normal range. Something was wrong. 

He tried first one way and then another to control things. The monitors all around Radek started blaring warnings of dire proportions, and there was nothing he could do to quiet them. Finally, he ducked behind the barricades designed to shield him, knowing full well that they wouldn't give him much protection, especially the way the power readings were escalating. Then a violent explosion rocked the area, and Radek felt himself being thrown against the wall behind him as rubble and equipment began to fall. He cried out as he hit some obstruction on the ground, and then something heavy landed on his ankle. 

His last thoughts were of the Madj. He prayed the explosion had at least killed the beast. If not, it was still free to roam the corridors of Atlantis. That realization brought a rush of worry for the others in the city, but then everything went dark and he had no more concerns.

**oOoOoOoOo**

John came to slowly, realizing there was a kind of white noise surrounding him. The air felt thick and moist, like a sauna, and smelt kind of musty. He looked around and saw several of the others were only a short distance away from him, and then he noticed Casea sitting beside him. 

"Hi," he said softly.

She smiled at him. "John, it is good that you are awake again. How are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, assessing himself. "Like my brains got scrambled. How about you? Is everybody doing okay?"

She nodded. "We are all fine. Would you like some water? When we came into this section of the mine, we found the passageway trails along an underground stream, so there's lots of water, just not a lot of drinking utensils."

John concentrated and the white noise resolved into the rush of the passing water and he could smell its presence, too. He shook his head. "No, not right now."

He frowned and looked around again. "How did I get here?"

Casea smiled. "Ronon carried you back to join us. My people helped after that to give him a break, but it took teams of two men to carry you and they could not go solo, unlike your friend, Ronon. His strength is great."

"So is his stubbornness," John said as he pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Why is it so hot in here?"

Casea lifted a finger to point at the rushing waters. "It's because of the underground stream that comes through here. It's heated from natural hot springs that run deep into the mountain." 

John's stomach cramped right then, and he pressed a fist against his abdomen, trying to hide it from Casea, but he didn't succeed. She didn't say a word, just reached into a pocket of her skirt and pulled out the cloth with the denobian root inside. She handed him one and he sighed, but he took it. He wasn't stupid. He knew it would help. And a moment later, it did.

Now, that his stomach was better, he took a slow breath, noticing how it matched the slow way his thoughts were plodding along. He was sure there was something of importance he needed to deal with, but the steady pace of the underground stream's warm rushing waters had a soothing effect on him, almost lulling him back to sleep. 

He blinked and shook his head. He had to stay awake. There was something niggling at the edge of his thoughts. Something was missing. No, someone. He straightened as he remembered McKay.

His eyes flew open. "I've got to find – "

She put a hand to his chest. "You need to rest more if we are to maintain the healing. You can't keep putting added demands on your system. We don't know when or if your people will be waiting for us at the ancestral ring. In case you've forgotten, you were very ill earlier today. Remember, this is not a permanent cure."

John frowned in irritation. He forced himself up on one elbow, preparing to get to his feet as he grumbled, "Yeah, I remember, but we've got more important things to worry about." 

Then he realized something else was wrong. He stiffened when he looked around, he knew what it was. "Where's Ronon and McMurphy?"

Casea hesitated, suddenly interested in brushing away some dirt on her long skirt. "They went with a few of my people to check out some tracks they found," she said quietly.

John sat up a little more. "Tracks?"

Casea nodded cautiously, as if she didn't want to answer him. "It might be the tracks of a Madj."

John's anger flared. "What the hell are they going to do if they find it? Damn it! We need to head away from that thing, not track it!"

His frustration drove him to his feet with Casea following him closely. She put out a hand to steady him when he swayed slightly, her voice soft and reassuring. "It is not that simple. The route we were going to take was blocked by a cave in. We had little choice but to go with the alternate route, or stay here and die a slow death of starvation."

John leaned against the wall behind him. "Damn it," he said, rubbing his arm as he tried to think outside of the box they were currently trapped in. It seemed like every time they were about to take one step forward, something else pushed them two steps back.

Casea touched his hand. "We will get out of here if it is meant to be."

John shook his head. "No, I believe men make their own destiny. We will get out of here on the merit of our own actions, and then we will go and rescue Rodney."

Casea's expression turned sad. "I was sorry to hear about your friend."

John's breath caught and he glanced at her. "He's not dead," he said with a little too much force, but he looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"Denaz told me about the cave in. It doesn't seem possible – "

John stopped and turned back to her, his tone more emphatic. "McKay isn't dead and that's all there is to it. Once all of you are safe, I'm going back with my people to look for him."

Casea put a hand to his arm. "I did not mean to upset or offend you," she said softly.

Realizing he must have sounded a little too zealous, John gave her a slight smile. He gestured with one hand and said, "You didn't. I'm sorry. It's just you don't know McKay like I do. He's a survivor. He's alive and probably trying to find a way to get back to us as we speak."

Casea nodded. John tried to ignore the sympathetic cast to her expression that told him she really didn't believe him. Fine, she could have her opinion and he could have his. Bottom line was he was going to find McKay and he would be alive. It just wasn't in him to think otherwise.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The explosion came so unexpectedly that Carson didn't realize what was happening until he was thrown down the corridor. The next thing he knew, there were blaring alarms echoing painfully inside and outside his head. He made himself get to his knees with his hands flat on the floor in front of him, still blinking to orient himself when Elizabeth's voice came over the radio, "Dr. Zelenka, what has happened?"

There was no answer. "Major Lorne, report."

The next moment, she was calling again, "Teyla? Somebody report!" She paused for a moment, and then said, "Chuck, get some emergency teams to them on the double."

Carson went to speak but coughed instead. Finally, he managed to move his hand away from the floor without fear of toppling over. He tapped the switch on his headset and said, "Elizabeth, something's gone very wrong."

"Carson? What happened?"

Carson straightened, squinting through the hazy smoke and coughed again. "A blast of some type." 

"Is anyone hurt?"

He shook his head in reply, but he flinched when his head throbbed more. "I don't know. There are some fires and the emergency power is on," he said hoarsely.

"I've got rescue teams on the way, just hang tight." There was frustration in Elizabeth's voice, along with concern as she asked, "Are you hurt badly?"

He noticed she didn't ask if he was hurt, just how badly off he was. The truth was, he didn't know. "I'm fine, just a little stunned is all."

Lorne's breathless voice on the radio caught Carson's attention. "Dr. Beckett, I need help with Teyla. One of the cases we used as the barricade broke free and fell on her."

"Major, don't try to move anything until the emergency teams arrive," Elizabeth said firmly.

As Elizabeth spoke to Lorne, Carson looked in the direction Teyla and Lorne had gone. He squinted, trying to see through the haze of the corridor. Damn, he didn't know their exact location and that was something he should have asked about before they left.

That was when Carson noticed the heavy cases from the barricade were lying about like discarded children's wooden blocks and his concern for Teyla grew. 

"Understood," Lorne answered, sounding frustrated and in pain.

Carson coughed from the smoke and looked around for his medical kit. He'd lost it in the blast. He took a quick breath and joined in the conversation. "Major Lorne, are you hurt, too?" 

Lorne rushed to answer him a little too quickly. "I'm okay. It's Teyla I'm worried about."

Carson knew Lorne wasn't telling the complete truth, but he'd wait to sort it out for himself when he got to them. He spied his medical kit and picked it up, making his way to the fallen barricade and stepped through it. "I'll be there in a sec – " 

He stopped short. "Oh dear Lord." 

Elizabeth interrupted. "What is it?"

"It looks like a bloody disaster movie. Whole corridors are collapsed and the rooms behind them in shambles. Whatever exploded took out most of the area."

"What about Radek?" Elizabeth asked. She sounded like she was moving fast, probably on her way down to him.

Carson took a quick breath. He spun in the direction Radek had headed. "I – I don't see him, and I'm not entirely sure where he was supposed to be."

"Just wait for the others, Carson," she said. "There aren't any transporters near you, so it's taking a little longer, but they should be there any second. Wait for them."

Her words mobilized him into action and he adjusted the strap on the medical kit on his shoulder. "Wish I could, lassie, but we've injured and missing people." 

"May I remind you that you are among the injured," she said more forcefully. 

Ignoring her, he said, "I know which direction Teyla and Lorne went, and the direction Radek took. Since we know the other two are still alive, I'm going to see if I can find Radek."

"Carson, that blast hit our systems pretty hard and they weren't in good shape to start off with. We can't pinpoint the position of the Madj... or the life signs for any of you right now, so just stay put."

Carson rubbed at his forehead and he didn't answer her right away. 

"Carson?" she asked, sounding a little more worried.

Recalling the force of the blast again, even as far away as he had been, he thought of Radek. After a moment, he whispered, "I've got a bad feeling about this, Elizabeth."

He took another breath, looked once more in both directions of the intersecting corridor, and went to the south, hoping to find Radek still alive.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	17. Chapter 17

Rodney gasped for air, but he couldn't get enough – he never had a chance to get enough, because Conteale had activated the control bracelet soon after they stepped onto the bridge of her ship. Once she got it working, she continued to activate it at her whim, dropping him to his knees each time. She would smile sweetly at him as he struggled to recover from its effects again and again. Rodney was sure he was going to throw up or pass out any second, if not die right there at her feet.

In between zapping him with the bracelet from hell, she had plugged the interface device into her command chair, and then proceeded to correct many of the changes Rodney had made earlier. She took her time, working over the course of an hour, hitting Rodney's control bracelet at random.

"As you know, the control bracelets are back in working order again," she said after he recovered from the last hit. "And now my ship's systems and communication are functioning again, too."

She sighed angrily. "I must have been a fool to think I could control you – to actually think there was something salvageable in you."

Rodney went to speak, but only sputtered wheezing came out. After a moment, he managed to get the words out, and in coherent sentences no less. "You -- you never really got to know me. Deep down, I'm a salvageable kind of guy. Maybe -- maybe not in terms you'd agree with, but I am."

She stood and went to another console. Without her thumb sitting on the button of her control bracelet, Rodney actually had some time to recover, and he was interested in what she was doing. He stood with hesitation, momentarily worried that she'd activate the control bracelet again, but after he watched her work, he was more afraid of what she was up to. He squinted at the monitor she was working at, and then straightened. "That's the self-destruct mechanism. What are you going to do with it?"

Without looking up, she said, "I believe in planning ahead. Just in case something happens to me before I'm ready to leave this godforsaken planet. If I can't have the crystals and get my ship safely away, I'll make sure nobody gets them."

Rodney's reaction came so fast, he was barely aware of the words that spewed from his lips. "You have some serious control issues, you know that?" 

His mouth stopped moving as he blinked, doing rapid fire calculations in his head. "But – but that would take out at least a third of this planet when you factor in the amount of Benji crystals already loaded on your ship and what's still in the mines."

He looked up at her, his jaw gaping. "You do realize you'll die when your ship explodes? Nothing on this continent will survive. Not much else on the rest of the planet will be living after the dust cloud settles. The blast would probably shift the planet's orbit, then there's the additional blast power of the stargate when it goes. Oh, God."

He looked for her reaction, but she merely shrugged, like they were chatting about destroying an ant colony instead of an entire planet. He was still trying to think of a way to stop her when she grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him along beside her. 

"Come, we have other matters to attend to. Don't make me use the control bracelet on you again."

Rodney swallowed, still not able to see a way to get out of the awful mess he was in. Her odd hold on him caused him to bang into a doorway, hitting his bad arm and he cried out. "Damn it! That hurt!"

"My apologies, my darling," she said with a preoccupied air, in much the same way McKay often did when dealing with his minions, "but we must move quickly. I want to see those collapsed passageways for myself. I have had a chance to memorize some of the old maps inside the mine. When I get a better idea of where they are going, I can estimate where they will exit the mine."

_Crap_ , Rodney thought. _Maybe I should have given her for credit for being smart enough to try something like this. And maybe if I'd stopped to reconsider this whole trip before I left Atlantis, I wouldn't be in this mess at all._

He must have lagged a little too long, because she yanked on his shirt again and hissed, "Come along, Mac-Kay."

At that particular moment, Rodney was sure Conteale was Medusa incarnate and he moved a little faster without meaning to. The realization made him grunt aloud. _Wait a minute. Why am I rushing to my own funeral? Something is really wrong with this picture_ , he thought, but he kept going, mostly because he couldn't think of anything else to do.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Minutes later, they were outside of the ship. The stars shone brightly through the remnants of the lingering rain clouds as the moon started to rise. The two of them had just passed the crystal packaging area on the way to the mine when a bullet slammed into the ground beside them. 

A voice shouted from behind some rocks. "Stop right where you are, Captain Conteale, or I'll shoot you dead."

Rodney put his hands up in the air automatically at the gunshot, cursing at yet another twist on his ever erratic path to death when he recognized the voice threatening Conteale. His arms dropped down a bit and he spoke without thinking. "Boneys? I-I thought you were long gone."

Boneys shook his head as he held his weapon on Conteale and said, "Something's wrong with the ship. I thought maybe you could help me with it."

Rodney took a deep breath. "Well, at least your timing is impeccable. I was in need of a rescue."

Conteale laughed at the prospect, keeping her gun aimed in Boneys' direction. "You forget I still control the bracelets and the weapons, Boneys! What a fool!"

Boneys peeked out from behind a rock, grinning widely. "Look at my weapon, Captain. It's not one of yours, so go to hell!"

She quickly pressed a button on her gauntlet and looked up with an expectation that never materialized. Boneys simply laughed and stuck out one arm. The white band of skin stood out like a flare in the moonlight. "Let me guess, you tried to zap me with the control bracelet. Well, I cut the damn thing off an hour ago while Rodney's fixings had it turned off. I'm free of you, you damn bitch! Chew on that for a while!"

Rodney almost laughed out loud at Boneys' audacity, but he was quite sure if he did, Conteale would kill him right there. Somehow, S'moa must have read his thoughts, because her gun turned to point at his head. At least if she fired now, it would eliminate the need for the slow agonizing death she had promised him. 

Conteale's voice was full of contempt when she spoke, "If you are going to do something, Boneys, do it. Otherwise, step aside. I plan on entering the mine with Mac-Kay in tow. Do you have a problem with that?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Boneys fired another warning shot, giving Conteale her answer. "Since he's my ticket out of here, I'd have to say yes!"

"Damn it," she whispered, pulling Rodney down behind some of the carts they used to load the packed Benji onto the ship.

Then she popped up and fired a few shots back at Boneys. Her eyes burned with rage as she shouted, "When the others come back from the mines, this silly game will end! Save us both time and throw out your weapon!"

A loud cackle broke out just as it started to rain again. "You can just kiss my bony white ass, woman! I can take you out any moment I want. These strangers carry very powerful weapons. Release McKay to me and I'll let you go alive."

Conteale silently considered Boneys' request before moving closer to Rodney's face. "You are not worth this amount of trouble!" she yelled so loudly that Rodney reeled back, hitting his head on the cart.

"Yep, I'm a dead man," Rodney whispered to himself when she finally moved away. 

She looked at her radio, but slammed it into a pocket instead, cursing under her breath. Rodney's head popped up as he realized death had just sidestepped him again. "You're not going to call the others to help?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

When she glared at him, he smiled. "You don't want the others to know what Boneys and I did. You don't want them to know that we actually got the upper hand, do you?"

She continued to glower at him, and then put the gun to his temple. "Shut up!"

"What? What are you going to do? Kill me? Then you won't have a hostage and Boneys will still have you pinned down. Use your head!"

She touched a button on her control gauntlet and Rodney fell back against the cart, writhing in pain. She didn't let up for a long moment and Rodney wasn't sure which would happen first, the puking or the dying. Finally, she lifted her finger. Rodney slumped against the cart they were hiding behind and blinked to stay conscious as he put a shaky hand to his forehead. S'moa had already turned her back to him and moved a few feet to the end of the cart, obviously not considering him a threat any longer. 

So, that was it? He was just supposed to lie in wait for her commands? The very thought infuriated him and gave him a sudden burst of courage. He got to his feet, raising a pointed finger in her direction. "You know I've had just about enough of this! First, you want to jump my bones, and then you haul me around like a prized pet terrier, and now you want to kill me. Well, just pick one and get it over with!"

She turned halfway back to him, staring in disbelief, but then Boneys came around from behind his perch. Unfortunately, Conteale, the snake lady extraordinaire, the one with eyes in the back of her skull, must have caught Boneys' movement ,or maybe Rodney's reaction to it, because she spun and shot Boneys. He fell into the crystal packaging assembly area and didn't move again.

"Ah, crap," Rodney muttered, his doom now painfully imminent again as he faced Medusa.

Part of him really wished she could turn him into stone with a glance, because that fate would be a hell of a lot less painful than whatever she had in store for him, but then he noticed a strange sound coming from above them and to his right.

It was a chain reaction that must have started with one of Conteale's stray shots. There was a low frequency hum that rapidly grew in intensity. It reminded Rodney of the tone a tuning fork made when hit just right, but much louder. The apparent harmonic resonance began to vibrate some of the raw crystal ore loaded onto a cart nearest to the source. Conteale didn't hesitate as she grabbed him by the nape of his neck and shouted, "Come with me!" 

Holding the gun to his back, she forced him to climb above the packing area and threw him to one side as she turned on the huge hoses of water that extended over the packing area. "Those hoses beside you, turn them on, and hurry!"

Rodney surmised it was the Sinomean equivalent of a fire extinguisher for the crystals, and the main reason why crystal packing was such cold, hard work. He did as he was told, but then stopped in anticipation. As he held his breath, the vibrations slowed down, and then stopped completely.

With her back still toward him, Conteale sighed with relief. Obviously, they had barely survived a serious catastrophe. Looking down, Rodney saw a shovel lying on the ground. He reached down and picked it up. In the next moment, he swung it at Conteale's head, but overestimated the force needed. He slipped on the wet ground and wound up hitting her back, instead of her head.

The end result was the same. Conteale went down, but her momentum made her slide down the hillside. There was nothing to stop her along the way and she continued until she rolled off a small incline and plunged into the runoff pool of water and sludge directly below the crystal packaging area.

Rodney grinned when she tried to stand, but couldn't, because the messy pool of sludge water kept her off balance. His mouth dropped open when he saw the mucky goo acted like very fast-acting quicksand. The more she tried to get out of it, the more she began to sink. 

He moved down the hillside, sidestepping around all the equipment jutting out here and there. He thought he was going pretty fast, but by the time he got to the edge of the sludge pond, she had sunk until the sludge was up to her waist with the water they used to suppress the crystals' vibrations only adding to her trouble. 

And she was still sinking. Her arms flailed, seeking purchase, but there was nothing to hold onto. "Get me out of here, Mac-Kay!" she bellowed.

Rodney's thoughts raced ahead. He hadn't meant for this to happen, but now that it was, he wasn't about to pull her out as ordered. Besides, there wasn't anything around him that he could use to get her out anyway, even if he wanted to. He grunted as he circled her along the edge of the pond. "Like hell I will! Get out yourself. It's a better chance than you were going to give those villagers or me."

She shook her fists at him, and then pressed the button on her control gauntlet, but nothing happened. Rodney grinned. "Oops, did all that water zap your favorite toy?"

"I will kill you!" she shouted, her rage inching toward madness.

He puffed out his chest. "Go ahead and try!"

She sputtered something more, but he ignored her as he turned away. 

The memory of the other Sinomeans still at large made him spin around to look at the mine entrance, watching it very cautiously. The moon moved behind a cloud and suddenly Rodney felt very vulnerable and alone. Then he struck his forehead with the palm of his hand. _Damn, I didn't get her gun before I decked her! What was I thinking?_

The weapon either had to be in the sludge pond with Conteale or lost somewhere on the hillside. That knowledge made him sigh with bitter frustration until he remembered Boneys. Boneys had a gun with him when he was shot. Rodney headed in the direction he'd last seen Boneys. He cast a glance over his shoulder, seeing the sludge up to Conteale's chest now. It wouldn't take long for her to go under. Not that he cared. The woman deserved to die many times over. Fate was just nodding its head in agreement. 

Rodney scurried to Boneys' location. He needed to Boneys' weapon before any other Sinomeans showed up. Once he arrived, he was surprised to see Boneys coming to. Boneys held a hand to his bleeding arm wound and looked up at Rodney groggily. 

Rodney grabbed him, barely stopping to scoop up Boneys' gun and brought the man to his feet. Boneys groaned and started to jerk away from Rodney's hold. Rodney shook Boneys without any regard to his injury. "Hurry up, you idiot! You can fuss over your arm later! You and I need to be in that little ship you wanted to commandeer and we need to be there now!"

Boneys struggled a little, but didn't stop as they kept moving. His voice echoed with pain as he said, "Don't ya get it? She's got control again. She's got the damned ship locked down. It won't take off. Besides, something was wrong with the engines when I tried to fire it up. I left the side hatch open, but that won't help any if we can't get the ship's command systems to operate." 

Rodney didn't try to hide his irritation. Couldn't the man see their lives were in dire jeopardy? He had no time for stupidity, but he tried to make Boneys understand. "We won't know if we don't try, now will we? It's got to be far safer in there than standing out here in the elements, isn't it? Especially when more of your compatriots show up armed to the teeth with lots and lots of guns."

Boneys stumbled and Rodney stopped, even though he didn't want to, and gave Boneys a chance to catch his breath. "Your ship does have defensive and offensive capabilities, doesn't it?"

Boneys nodded. "Yeah, it's got shields and a full armament. Why?"

Rodney grinned. "Well, we just may have found a way out of this nightmare and the means with which to do it in style."

Boneys still gaped at him in confusion. Rodney rolled his eyes. "I'll try to make this as simple as possible for you. See space ship? See us inside of space ship? See us closing the ship's doors and activating its nice safe shield? See us firing our big guns on anyone we don't like?"

He sighed when Boneys didn't say anything. "How's this? Move your damned ass before I leave you here to die. I imagine your friends won't be too happy with you for switching sides, will they?"

Boneys put up his hand and shook his head. "I get it, I get it already. Let's move."

Once they were inside the ship, Rodney sat at the pilot's chair and began to look around. Boneys followed him, plopping down in the copilot's seat. "Okay, the big doors are closed. Shouldn't we be priming our big guns and activating the shields?" he said sarcastically.

Rodney sneered back. "No, not quite yet. Conteale was true to her word when she said she'd locked everything down."

Boneys leaned forward, trying to catch Rodney's eye. "But you can fix it, can't you?"

Rodney groaned and threw one hand up into the air. "Why does everyone in the universe expect me to pull a save out of thin air when nobody else has a clue as to what to do? It just freaking amazes me every single time it happens. Well, I don't work that way. I will need some concentrated time to look at your ship's systems before I can activate anything."

"Sooner or later, the others will come after us."

Rodney clapped his hands together. "Give that boy a cigar! Now, shut up and let me work!"

Boneys moved away in silence. He took out a med kit to clean up his arm wound, and then settled back in the copilot's chair to open it. Rodney paused to look out the front window, searching for some sign of his missing friends, or better yet a puddle jumper to save his butt, but there was nothing except the cold, hard rain coming down. It could be followed by a cold, hard death if he couldn't bypass Conteale's system lock down in time. 

Unless... He started snapping his fingers. "If Conteale re-enabled the comms for her ship, she probably did it for this ship too without thinking about it. We might be able to dial out to my home planet again and call in the troops."

He went silent as he started to punch in Atlantis' address. Boneys was watching him intently when Rodney stopped and sighed. 

"Do you mind?" Rodney asked with disgust. "This is a private call."

"Oh, yeah, right. No problem." Boneys looked away as Rodney completed dialing the address. 

Rodney held his breath when he heard some white static in the background. He spoke in a rush, "Atlantis, this is Dr. McKay. Do you read me?"

Nothing. He swallowed and spoke again, "On the off chance you can read me, I'm sending you my IDC for verification. The team is in big trouble. The Sinomeans are still after us. Ronon and Colonel Sheppard were injured. We need immediate assistance." 

He glanced over at Boneys as he heard something that sounded like more than mere static. In the next instant, it sounded like Elizabeth was saying, "Rodney? Where are yo– " Then the whole thing went dead. 

"Damn it to hell!" Rodney shouted as he slammed his good fist down on the console, his words reverberating in the small cabin.

Boneys looked at him and took a deep breath. "Well, at least they know you're still alive. Maybe they will come for you now."

Rodney rolled his eyes as he rubbed at his reddened fist. "Of course they'll come, you imbecile, but obviously something has kept them from passing through the gate so far. Whatever is, they better get it fixed pretty damned fast! What's Zelenka been doing anyway, playing with his damn pigeons again?"

Boneys looked uncomfortable from the sting of Rodney's words. He glanced around and finally asked, "What now?"

Rodney scratched at the back of his neck as he thought aloud, "We keep to the plan. We bring up the shields and armament. In the meanwhile, I'll keep calling Atlantis until we get a clear response."

"Sounds good to me," the smaller man said, looking like he didn't want to rile Rodney any more than he already was. That was fine with Rodney. He had more important issues than to worry about Boneys' sense of good manners. 

Boneys cleared his throat. "I think I'll go aft and see if I can find anything that might help."

Rodney ignored him as Boneys stood and moved into the rear compartment. Rodney was flying through the ship's systems menu, looking for a possible way past Conteale's system lock down when he muttered, "This is hell. I've gone to the really bad place for all my past sins and my penance will be working with lunatic escapees from some moronic space movie."

"You say something?" Boneys asked as his head popped back through the open doorway.

Rodney made a face at the interruption and said, "No, not really." 

Waving Boneys off with a flick of his wrist, Rodney's tone turned harsh. "Just shut up while I'm working if you expect me to get anything done."

Rodney heard a sigh, but didn't really care. He had a ship to get functioning and he didn't have a lot of time to do it.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	18. Chapter 18

When McMurphy and Ronon returned, the first thing Ronon did was look around for Sheppard. He paused, more than a little disconcerted to see Sheppard was still resting. The colonel was one of the most tenacious men Ronon had ever known; for him to be down this long said a lot about his condition. He caught Casea's troubled gaze and chewed on his lower lip. 

Without looking away from Sheppard, he inclined his head toward McMurphy and said, "Get the others ready to move out." 

The sergeant nodded and moved toward the largest group of villagers. Ronon crossed the distance to Sheppard with long strides. He knelt down beside Sheppard and whispered, "How's he doing?"   
  
Casea's head dipped down for a moment before her eyes rose to meet his. "He weakens. It won't be long before the healing treatment starts to reverse – " 

"You don't have to whisper. He's not really asleep," came a low voice from below.

Ronon grinned as Sheppard slowly opened his eyes. "And don't you count me out just yet, Casea," he added, "I'm a scrappy kind of guy who hangs in there through thick and thin." 

"Yeah, he is," Ronon said with a big smile that refused to fade. It was good to hear Sheppard sound more like himself.

Looking up at him, Sheppard asked, "What'd you find?"

Ronon shrugged and said, "Lots of tracks, but it was hard to tell which way they were going."

"And there isn't any other way around it?" Sheppard asked as he started to move.

Ronon pulled out the map McKay had given them and set it on the ground in front of them. "Well, there might be."

Sheppard frowned. "There _might_ be?"

Ronon nodded. "We've found a few tunnels that weren't on the map. It must have been an old map, one made before the other sections of the mine was opened up."

Sheppard nodded and rubbed at his forehead. Ronon lifted the map and pointed to where there were x's marked. "Those are the new tunnels. The most direct route heading out of the mine, here, is blocked, so we had to double back to this point. Now, if we take this passageway branching off just ahead, we might eventually make it out via one of these exits."

Sheppard took the map from Ronon and studied it closely. "Yeah, that looks like our best bet." 

Sheppard sat up a little straighter and he looked up at Ronon. "Do these uncharted tunnels mean Conteale and her men might find be able to find another way in to get to us?"

Ronon rubbed his tongue over his teeth. "Guess so," he said after a moment.

"Then we need to get moving."

Ronon agreed and got to his feet, and waited for Sheppard to stand. Ronon's gaze slid over Casea who was shadowing Sheppard's movements, ready with a helping hand if Sheppard needed it. As if in sympathy, Ronon's shoulder throbbed a little more. It had only been a matter of hours since their healing treatment and something was already going wrong with it. Another glance at the way Sheppard was guarding his arm as he moved told him John was feeling it as well. Damn, this was well ahead of the time frame Casea had given them. 

Ronon took a deep breath. He knew he could survive the wounds he'd incurred, but he wasn't so sure about Sheppard. Maybe the healing worked better on the native inhabitants of Jaxndaxta. Whatever the reason, having their injuries return so fast was bad news.

He looked to Sheppard again. The man might have made it to his feet on his own, but he'd gone paler from the movement. As usual, Sheppard just pushed through it and started walking. He stopped and turned halfway back to Ronon, scowling. "Do I have to get everyone moving myself?"

Ronon grunted and raised his voice. "Okay, the break's over, everybody. It's time to start moving again. Follow me."

Sheppard stopped, waiting for Ronon to catch up with him and said in a low voice, "You and McMurphy just keep an eye out for the Madj. I'll watch our six to make sure it doesn't sneak up on us from behind."

Ronon nodded and headed out. He met up with McMurphy at the head of the group and waved for the others to start lining up behind him. He glanced back at Sheppard across the crowd, catching Sheppard's eye once more before he turned. 

Casea fell into step beside Sheppard as they followed the others. "That young man has a great deal of respect for you."

Sheppard smiled with unexpected pride as he fiddled with his P90. "We're very lucky to have him on our team."

Ronon and McMurphy were already out of sight along the twisting route that paralleled the underground river as it curved around a bend. "I think it is all of us who were lucky that your team returned when you did. Otherwise, you would have arrived to find a dead village."

Sheppard glanced to her. "Don't worry. We'll get all of you to safety and then deal with Conteale and her crew. We just have to hold out a little longer. My people will be here. They have a tendency toward stubbornness that can be really annoying at times. It can also be pretty amazing, because they can come through against all odds. They'll be here when we really need them and you can count on that. "

"Is it that same tenacity that keeps you believing your friend, Rodney, is still alive, even though there is evidence otherwise?"

"Yep," Sheppard said with a nod.

Casea smiled. "You know, from the little I know of you and your friends, you've got me starting to believe it, too."

He smiled at her and nodded. He kept silent, thinking again of McKay, afraid the depth of his emotions would reveal more in his voice than he was prepared for. 

She put a hand to his back as they walked a little further, but pulled it away when they came around a corner. Gasping in surprise, she came to a complete stop. The passageway opened into another huge cavern, complete with huge stalactites and stalagmites, both reaching toward each other from above and below with long, thin lines of colorful crystals and accumulated minerals. The noise was nearly deafening as the stream they followed was joined by other fast moving tributaries.

"It's beautiful," she said, raising her voice to be heard.

John looked around, but didn't pause. "We can appreciate its beauty later when everyone is safe. Come on, we need to keep moving."

He whistled for Ronon and waved two fingers in the air, signaling for Ronon to keep the group moving ahead. Ronon nodded. John took a deep breath as the group moved forward and rubbed at his forehead. When he dropped his hand away, he saw Casea watching him closely. 

John sighed and said, "You don't have to worry about me keeling over, you know. The more I'm moving around, the better I feel. Lying around just made me groggy. So, will you please relax a bit? That, in turn, will help me to relax. A lot."

Her lips pursed together and she gave him a quiet, "Uh-huh," but said no more. 

John silently repeated his own words back to himself, _The more I'm moving, the better I feel._ He did it to drill the words into his consciousness. He wasn't about to pass out again, not if sheer stubbornness had anything to do with it.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
The smoke was worse the further Carson went down the corridor. The fire suppression systems had started to kick in, but it was still bad enough to keep him coughing and made his eyes water. 

"Radek?" he shouted, still looking ahead. "Radek? Speak up if you can hear me, lad."

Carson coughed again, harder this time and the movement made his head throb. He put a hand to the back of his head and wasn't surprised to see blood on his fingers when they came back into view. "Ah, bloody hell," he muttered. 

As he looked around at the massive destruction, he realized just how extensive that blast had been. His heart became heavier the longer he looked for Radek. He stopped and squinted as he recognized the scattered remnants of the temporary barricades used to protect Radek from the Madj. Radek had to be around them somewhere.

He rushed forward. "Radek? Radek, can you hear me?"

He saw an arm sticking out from under some collapsed ceiling and other debris. "Radek!" There was no response. 

He tapped his radio. "Elizabeth! I've found Radek."

"How is he?" She sounded out of breath. 

"I don't know. He's buried under some collapsed ceiling debris and what's left of the barricade."

"Hold on. We are close – oh, my God." Her voice dropped off and Carson knew exactly where she was before Elizabeth said any more. She coughed, and then said, "We're at what is left of the first set of barricades. Which way do we go to get to you and Radek, and Lorne and Teyla?"

Carson explained as he pulled away the broken pieces of the ceiling and other debris, and finally found Zelenka underneath it all. He paused as he reached down to check for a pulse, closing his eyes in a silent prayer that he would find one. With his touch, Radek murmured softly. 

Carson smiled. "Hold on, lad. Hold on," he said softly as he patted the man on the shoulder. "I'm going to check you for injuries."

He started sweeping his hands over Radek's limbs and torso, checking for broken bones. He felt along one leg, but there was a large crate sitting on Zelenka's other foot. Using all the strength he had, Carson lifted and then pushed the crate away. What he saw only worried him more. The pants leg was pushed up and Carson could see a bad break in the ankle. Though Carson barely touched him as he probed the area, it was enough to make Radek groan. Luckily, he didn't awaken. 

"Okay, a broken ankle. Let's see what else you've got."

Radek reacted the same way when Carson felt along his left collarbone. Carson sighed, a broken clavicle. He stopped to check Radek's pulse and respiration again, and then his pupil responses. He frowned, worried there could be internal injuries. What he needed to do was get him into the infirmary ASAP to run a full body scan to discover the full extent of his injuries. 

"Carson!"

Carson turned to see Elizabeth, some Marines, and a few of his medical staff rush up to him. Carson started issuing orders to his people. Within a few minutes, Zelenka was packed up on a gurney and ready for transport. Carson started to stand, but swayed. 

Elizabeth took his arm to steady him, but Carson put a hand over hers and smiled. "Relax, Elizabeth. I'm fine, I'm just a wee bit rattled."

Elizabeth didn't move her hand away. "Well, I'll relax when one of your staff tells me the same thing."

"In a minute. I need to check on Lorne and Teyla first." He started off in their direction, but Elizabeth moved right along with him. 

"There's emergency personnel with them."

"Yes, I know, luv, but I need to see them for myself." 

Elizabeth reluctantly followed. "How is Radek?"

Carson coughed again from the lingering smoke, and then wiped at a cut on his forehead. "He's got some broken bones and he'll be hurting. More than that, I can't say until I run some tests."

"This is exactly what I was afraid of. Now, we're without McKay and Zelenka," Elizabeth said, accentuating her words with a finger pointed in the air.

"I know, lassie, but at least he's still alive, and that's saying something, considering the severity of that blast. What happened?"

Elizabeth shook her head as they walked. "Dr. Kline's checking into it. Radek had the Madj trapped, but it appears something in the Madj's physiology caused it to explode once they had it contained. Kline thinks it's something about the instability of the energy signature itself. They are still trying to get sensors back on line for an official verification of the Madj's destruction."

Carson rubbed the back of his neck. "Och, I knew that bloody beastie was nothing but trouble."

They slowed as they approached some of Carson's staff attending to Lorne and Teyla. Carson knelt down, personally checking their vital signs as his people filled him in on what they'd found, and then he stood and joined Elizabeth. 

"Well, it could be worse. Let's get them moved into the infirmary. I suspect Teyla has some internal injuries and will need surgery. Major Lorne is in pretty good shape, all things considered, but he'll require a new set of stitches in his back. I'll go on ahead to set things up," he said.

Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Get yourself checked out first. You were also in that blast."

He gave her his best smile. "No, I just knocked my head. I'll be fine, but I do need to clean up before surgery." 

He looked down at Lorne and Teyla who were ready to be transported, and then at the devastation. "That monster left quite a mess, didn't it?"

She nodded. He sighed, and then followed the medical team moving Lorne and Teyla to the infirmary.  
oOoOoOoOo

There was a narrow archway that crossed over the stream like a bridge over a Japanese koi pond, only this was over a rushing river. The banks and archway were fortified with wood decking, probably to aid the miners in transporting the raw Benji ore, because they were just wide enough for one of the ore carts to pass over it. Given the speed of the water flowing underneath, the villagers used a great deal of caution as they crossed over the bridge. 

John passed a couple of the carts filled with harvested Benji crystals. He was about to step onto the wooden decking of the bridge when he heard a high pitched screech echoing from another nearby passageway. He pushed Casea forward as he shouted, "Run!"

The phosphorescent glow in the mine's walls multiplied several times, creating a weird shadowing effect in the Benji crystals embedded in the wall and there was no mistaking the fact the Madj was nearby. The air was thick with a smell that reminded John of lightning and rain.

When he glanced back at the bridge, he found Casea was still beside him. She tugged on his shoulder, urging him to move. "I remember stories telling how the Madj would go to great lengths to avoid water. If we can cross the bridge and then destroy it, the Madj will not follow."

John licked his lips. He looked at the shimmering effect wisp across the crystals again and turned back to her. He reached into his pocket with the other and pulled out the small crystal bomb McKay had made, wishing he had a detonator. "We can try. We have this crystal bomb Rodney made."

She nodded rapidly. "The packaged Benji crystal is much more reactive to the Madj than what is in the mine's walls. It should work, but hurry."

He nodded, too, and then gestured with his P90. "Get moving!"

She started to run and he followed her, moving backward over the bridge to cover their escape. Casea was already a good distance across the bridge when she turned back to him and shouted, "Hurry!"

John stopped to lay the explosive at the crest of the bridge. Maybe if he fired at it with the P90 from the other side, that would generate enough power to set it off. He wished McKay was with them to give an assessment of just how big the explosion would be, or if it would even work, but he'd have to manage on his own. He was only about two-thirds across when he heard a strange humming sound coming from the direction of the bomb. 

He looked up at Casea. Horror was written on her expression as she waved to him from the other side. "The Death Claw – somehow it has caused the packaged Benji crystal bomb to sing! Hurry! It will explode any second – "

True to her words, the Benji-powered explosive did just that, detonating on its own, probably due to its proximity to the Madj. Whatever the cause, it wasn't good as John still had about ten feet left to cross when the blast's concussion wave hit him. He thought he heard Casea shout his name over the noise, and then the bridge crumbled under his feet, tossing him into the churning water below.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	19. Chapter 19

Elizabeth stood in the doorway to Carson's office and watched him work on a patient's chart. He had a darkening bruise on his right cheekbone and a cut above the same eye. As she watched, he yawned, and then stiffened. He rubbed at his shoulder before he went back to writing. Elizabeth didn't want to startle him, so she tapped lightly on the doorjamb.

When he looked up at her, she frowned. "Hello, Carson. I thought you were supposed to be resting."

He gave her a slight smile. "There's little difference in doing this at my desk or doing it in bed."

"Except for the resting part."

He grunted. She sat down in a chair next to his. "You know, I think this stubbornness streak you're always complaining about isn't limited to just the Marines and Air Force personnel."

Carson's smile turned sheepish. He scratched at the back of his neck and set down his pen. "Maybe not, but there's too many injured patients in this city for me to rest well anyway." 

He caught her gaze. "I hear the infirmary is still running off the emergency generators."

She nodded, her frown seeming to take up permanent residence and said, "They're working on it."

Taking a deep breath, she leaned back in her chair and asked, "Tell me how the others are doing."

His gaze darted around before settling on her. "We're just bloody lucky that no one died this last time around."

Elizabeth nodded. "We've had more than enough death in the past two days. How's Radek doing?"

Carson put his hands on his desk and pushed up from there. Elizabeth was concerned about his heavy movements. She reached out and touched his hand. "Carson, are you sure you're okay? You look like you're in pain."

Carson shook his head, effectively discounting her concern. "I'm sore, that's all. I guess I was pretty lucky, too."

As he took a few steps out into the infirmary area, Elizabeth noticed how each of the nursing staff seemed aware of his presence and tracked his movements, watching him like hawks. Her frown eased up a bit. There was no way any of his people was going to let him push himself too hard and that made her feel a little better. 

Carson came to a stop, his sad gaze sweeping over the beds filled with patients. From where they were, Elizabeth could see Zelenka and Teyla. "As you already know, Teyla had some internal bleeding. Fortunately, we were able to get her right into surgery to correct the problem. She's a tough young lady. She'll be fine."

Then, he turned to Zelenka who was in the bed beside her and sighed. "Radek was the closest to the blast, and if it wasn't for that barricade, I fear he wouldn't have survived. As it is, he's got a broken collarbone and a bad ankle break, along with lots of pretty nasty bruises and contusions, but fortunately no internal injuries. I'll keep him here for a few days for observation."

Elizabeth clenched a fist with his comment. She paced for a moment before turning back to him. "What about Major Lorne? I saw him leaving as I arrived."

Carson waved a hand. "He'll be all right. Though, we had to redo most of his stitches. He's a little stiff, but well enough to be off on his own."

Elizabeth went silent as she stared at Teyla and then Radek. In a low voice, Carson asked, "Did they find out exactly what went wrong?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Sadly, in interviewing Elder Wealy again, he reminded us of something he'd said earlier about the Madj."

"What was that?"

"It seems the longer the Madj is away from the Benji crystals, the more dangerous it can become. Apparently, a vital piece of information that I should have paid more attention to."

Carson frowned, his eyes searching her expression. "Aye, I remember him saying that but I thought he meant it grew more likely to attack, not blow up."

"So did I. I guess I should have asked more questions." 

He shook his head. "There wasn't a lot of time for extensive background interrogations."

Elizabeth folded her arms in front of her chest. "It appears the energy that fueled the Madj's life force becomes more volatile without the Benji crystals nearby to stabilize their metabolism. Eventually, they just explode like a fireball."

She looked at him, her gaze searching his expression before she sighed and whispered, "Carson, I know you aren't going to like this, but we need Radek back to work as soon as he can move."

Carson stared at her for a moment, then leaned closer. "What else has happened?"

Elizabeth leaned against the wall behind her. "A lot."

She rubbed her hand across the back of her neck. "Some of the repairs on the gate came together much faster than they had first projected. When Dr. Kline returned from helping Radek set up the trap, his team was in the process of powering up the gate for a test. 

Her gaze darted away for a moment. "Then the Madj's explosion happened. That same strange energy overwhelmed our power systems again and everything went down. That's why key locations like the control room and infirmary are on emergency power while most of the city is still dark. We're slowly bringing up the naquadah generators, at least enough to restore basic needs for the city and power for the repair teams working on the gate." 

Carson scratched at his lower lip. "So, you need Radek to help deal with the power issues?"

She nodded uncomfortably. "And to oversee the stargate repairs."

She hesitated and Carson must have sensed it, because he took a step toward her and ventured a guess, "There's more."

She looked down at her feet. "In those brief moments while Kline's team had the gate active, we received a short message from Rodney."

Carson's mouth dropped open. "Why, that's wonderful news!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Not so much. He said Ronon and Sheppard were injured and they were in trouble. He requested emergency assistance."

"Well, if the gate is functioning, we can assemble a medical team to go with your Marines – "

"It's not that simple. When that energy surge swept through our power grid, it overwhelmed already damaged subsystems. I'm afraid the gate is down again."

"Oh dear," Carson said quietly. 

Elizabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "So you see that's why we need Radek as soon as you can release him."

Carson sighed, glancing over at Radek. "Elizabeth, I honestly don't know when that will be. Radek hasn't regained consciousness since the blast. And I won't release him until I am sure he's strong enough to move around on his own. You'll just have to make do until then."

Elizabeth tried to contain her emotions, feeling torn between what her heart told her to do and what the burdens of command forced her to consider. "I understand, but you need to understand this. Making due might not be enough for those people whose lives are on the line. Let me know the moment he's awake."

He took a deep breath and finally nodded. She didn't know what else to say, so she turned and left. When she was gone, Carson walked over to Radek's bed, checking his monitors before patting him on the arm. "Come back to us, lad. Fate has heaped a heavy load upon your shoulders."

**oOoOoOoOo**

After hearing Casea's screams following the explosion, Ronon came at a full run, pushing his way through the stunned group. McMurphy was right behind him. Casea had one hand wrapped around her waist, the other over her mouth. The other villagers closer to Casea stood immobile as if paralyzed. There were tears streaming down Casea's face as she looked down into the rushing water. 

The high pitched screeches of the Madj coming from the other side of the stream only added to the confusion. If anything, the screeching had grown more intense. Even though the stream separated them from the Madj, Ronon kept his weapon aimed in that direction just to be safe. 

"Did the Madj attack?" he asked breathlessly.

"No," Denaz said quietly.

Ronon's gaze darted across the water, looking for some sign of the Madj. "Can it attack us from the other side of the stream?"

"No, the Madj will not cross the water," Denaz answered, even though Ronon's question had been directed at Casea.

A knot started to twist in Ronon's gut as he stepped closer to Casea. 

"What's wrong?" he asked her, then he realized Sheppard was missing. He glanced around the area, his breath catching and he heard worry echo in his voice as he asked, "Where's Sheppard?"

Casea had tears in her eyes as she clasped her hands together. "He – he had placed McKay's crystal explosive on the bridge and was crossing it when the Death Claw caused the Benji crystals in the bomb to sing. John ran toward me, but there – there just wasn't enough time for him to get all the way across."

"He went into the water?" Ronon's tone was harsh as he stepped closer to her. 

Casea straightened to her full height, but Ronon still loomed over her. "Yes, he was swept away by the current."

Ronon followed her gaze, looking into the flowing water for a moment before handing McMurphy the map and his weapon. "I'm going after him."

McMurphy glanced to the rushing torrent and shook his head. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Just look at that white water."

"I'm going after him," he repeated, taking a couple of deep breaths as he prepared to dive into the water.

Denaz grabbed Ronon's arm and shook his head. "Ronon, there's no way Sheppard could have survived. This stream goes underground for a certain distance and empties out far below at the floor of the valley. Knowing his condition... "

Ronon jerked his arm free, grinding his teeth together when the movement caused the pain in his shoulder to flare. He stared into the water and was about to dive in when Denaz and a couple of other men grabbed him from behind. They all toppled backward to the floor of the cavern. Denaz sat on top of Ronon's chest while the other men held his arms down. Denaz leaned closer, his voice emphatic, but full of compassion. "It is pointless. Sheppard is already dead. No one could have survived that. Your sacrifice won't help him now. Besides, we need you."

"Let me go!" Ronon bellowed as he bucked, and then grimaced when the pain from his shoulder skyrocketed.

"Everyone, get the hell off of him!" McMurphy bellowed and brought his P90 up, sweeping it around, but didn't release the safety. 

He motioned for the men to release Ronon, and then put out a hand to help him stand. After getting to his feet, Ronon looked around. For reasons he couldn't begin to understand, Ronon's anger eased a little after looking into the concerned gazes surrounding him. He was more than a little breathless as he said, "You don't need me. McMurphy can guide you out."

He gazed into the water again and then to Casea, hearing the determination in his voice as he said, "He's still alive. You don't know Sheppard like I do."

Ronon looked to McMurphy for backup. After a moment, McMurphy finally gave him a nod. That brief hesitation told him McMurphy really didn't think Sheppard was still alive. Ronon frowned, more disturbed by that than he was by Denaz's calm pronouncement of death. 

Ronon shook his head. "I'm going. Just keep them moving. Atlantis will send help. It's probably already here, just waiting for us to show up."

Before Ronon could move, Casea spoke, "Ronon, please, listen to me. Sheppard believed that McKay was still alive, even when you thought he was dead. How can you be so sure that he survived the trip to the valley with new injuries on top of the wounds he already had?"

"Because he's Sheppard," he whispered as he straightened his shoulders. 

His shoulder ached, but not as much as his heart did, especially when he considered the possibility that Sheppard was really gone. He closed his eyes, only to have them fly open a moment later. No, he had to believe Sheppard was still alive. 

Casea moved directly in front of him. "You know we are right."

Ronon shook his head. He looked into the water one more time, and then his resolve was back in place. "I know no such thing. When we do meet up with him – and we will – " he paused to look her directly in the eyes, then continued, "He'd have my ass if he found out that I left you people stranded here. I'll help get you to safety and then I'll go looking for him."

The grief in Casea's eyes became almost tangible and it tore at Ronon's heart, but he simply refused to accept her belief as truth. He looked away, but then his shoulder shuddered with pain, and he pressed his hand harder over the aching area. 

After a moment, he pulled his fingers away, but gaped in surprise to find them stained with fresh blood. He glanced at Casea and she reached up to examine his shoulder. After a moment, she sighed and whispered, "So it begins."

**oOoOoOoOo**

_"Hello? Are you coming or have you decided you to stay in this vacation wonderland?"_

Something was distantly familiar about that voice and the comments, like a feeling of deja vu. Someone had said those very words to him recently. Sheppard raised his head, blinking in confusion. Only then did he realize he'd been lying in mud with the side of his face and lower body immersed in warm, moving water. He was still clinging to a two foot by four foot section of wood from the bridge collapse. As he started to roll to one side, he coughed instead, spitting up the water that he'd inhaled. 

_"Come on, Sheppard, we don't have all day. Get moving!"_

John opened his eyes, and then groaned, regretting doing so. 

"Geez," he whispered as he put a hand to his forehead. It felt like someone had taken up residence inside his skull and was remodeling in a very loud and unpleasant way. He closed his eyes and rested for a moment. 

_"Stop being a wuss. You're the one who's always telling me to stop talking and start moving, so move it, Colonel!"_

John looked around again, looking for the voice behind those words. The full moon overhead gave a fairly clear view of the area around him, but its silvery cast added an eerie glow to the things around him.

"McKay?" he called out. 

Unfortunately, speaking started the hacking again. Everything hurt as he coughed up more swallowed water, but there was still no answer from his teammate.

He put a hand to his forehead, trying to reconstruct what had happened. The Madj and those damned Benji crystals, yeah, that was what happened. He was lying on the bank of a fast-moving stream where he'd apparently come to rest against some small boulders. That section of wood he'd been clinging to had probably saved his life. 

He thought about getting out of the water, but decided against it. At least for another minute. The warm water was very soothing to his weary body. It would be so easy to drift away, literally and figuratively. He was jolted back to consciousness by McKay's voice again, this time sounding scared and worried at the same time. 

_"You better hang in there, Sheppard. I refuse to rescue you only to have you die. What's more, I absolutely refuse to lug your dead body home!"_

He looked around again, but there was no one in sight. 

"Great," he muttered hoarsely. "I'm getting an earful from McKay and he isn't even here... God, I hate reruns."

Sheppard saw his legs were still in the water. "Gotta get moving," he told himself. 

He tried to get up, but couldn't, so he crawled crab-like out of the water. Cursing under his breath, he came to a stop and rolled to one side, protecting his sore ribs and arm as much as possible. "Oh yeah, that was a lot of fun," he whispered, resting his head on his arm.

After a minute, he used a nearby rock to pull himself up and waited until his horizon stopped spinning. He blinked a few more times. He was in an area of the forest thick with underbrush. 

_"Come on, Sheppard. Get moving,"_ he heard McKay whisper inside his head.

"You get moving, damn it, Rodney. I need a second to recover," John grumbled with closed eyes, bending at his middle with one arm wrapped around his ribs as the other held his arm. He grimaced at the way his stomach had begun to cramp again, and then he realized he was talking to himself. No, it was worse. He was talking to a memory, nothing more.

Ronon's voice came to him next. _"When the brilliant astrophysicist is right, he's right."_

"Great, now Ronon's joining in," he whispered, then stood. He quickly latched onto a nearby tree to stay upright. After a minute, his head stopped spinning. 

"Okay, John, which way do we go?" he asked aloud, and was relieved not to hear a reply from an imaginary McKay or Ronon.

He glanced both upstream and downstream, and sighed as he tried to visualize the map of the mine in his head. "The stream came from inside the mine, so if I follow it back up the hillside, I should find where it exits."

He looked around again. "Or maybe I'll come across the stargate and a few teams from Atlantis. That would be even better for everyone concerned."

Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face. "Or I could come across Conteale and her men and that would be very bad."

He straightened. "Ah, just suck it up and move," he told himself.

He did better than he thought he'd do until the terrain turned steeper. He slipped on some leaves and lost his balance, sliding a ways until he came to rest against an unforgiving boulder. 

"Damn it," he muttered. He tried to get up, but faltered, so he rested his forehead against the coolness of the boulder he was holding onto and worked to steady his breathing. Somewhere in the resting and breathing, he passed out again.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	20. Chapter 20

"Well, that certainly took a lot longer than it should have," Rodney said as he wiped the grime from his hands on the material that used to be his arm sling. The thing wasn't very conducive for two-handed work anyway. 

"How the hell did your people manage to survive without a decent mechanic around?"

Boneys stood near the copilot's seat with a heavy duty flashlight that he'd been holding for Rodney while he worked. "Conteale's been looking for one. She thought she'd found it in you – "

"Sorry to disappoint, but at least the ship is spaceworthy now." Rodney sighed as he tossed the rag aside and rubbed his aching arm. "Still, it's strange that nobody's come out looking for us."

Boneys looked out the forward window. "The last movement I saw was them taking equipment into the mine."

"Yeah, I know." Rodney moved to close one of the open maintenance hatches, but stopped when he noticed Boneys was standing uncomfortably close to him. 

In fact, Boneys was beginning to irritate the hell out of him. Rodney glared at him, and then looked beyond his shoulder and his eyes widened in alarm. Boneys turned to follow Rodney's gaze and cursed. A half dozen of Conteale's men were exiting the mine entrance. Two headed toward Conteale's ship and the others went toward some of the equipment they used for stripping the soil's outer layer to mine for Benji crystals. 

Rodney stepped around Boneys and bent over the forward console for a better look. The men at the mining area didn't stay long. They loaded up as much equipment as they could carry and went back into the mine. 

"They must still be digging through the rubble," Boneys said in a hushed tone.

"To get to the others," Rodney whispered. He frowned as the other two men entered Conteale's ship, pointing as he said, "That can't be good, either." 

Realizing he'd been whispering for no good reason, Rodney straightened and ran a hand through his hair. When he spoke next, it was in a louder tone. "If they realize Conteale's gone, they'll start looking for her."

Boneys nodded. "And they might come this way."

"Yeah." Rodney's mouth hung open for a moment as his thoughts raced ahead. He waved Boneys toward the rear compartment, as if giving orders to a slave. "Get some tools to cut off my control bracelet."

Boneys didn't seem to notice Rodney's behavior as he said, "If Conteale's dead, you don't need to worry about it – "

"Yes, and what if one of the others realizes she's gone and tries to take over? I don't want to experience that horrible feeling of being zapped by a control bracelet ever again. Go. Now. Get moving."

While Boneys disappeared into the rear compartment, Rodney dialed Atlantis again. "Atlantis, this is McKay. Do you read?"

He waited a moment and spoke again in a louder tone, "Atlantis, this is Dr. Rodney McKay. Do you read me?"

He tapped his fingers on the DHD console and whispered, "Come on, answer the damned phone."

Boneys returned with tools in hand. "I don't think they're receiving you."

Rodney slammed a fist down to deactivate the DHD. "Damn it!"

Boneys scratched at his head for a minute. "Well, while we're waiting, these are the tools I used to cut my bracelet off, but it won't be nearly as easy for you as it was for me. I've heard you can get a real jolt from those things when you try to cut them off while they're still active."

"Still active?" Rodney repeated in confusion, then his eyes widened. "Oh my God, Conteale had them active when she went bottom diving in that pool of sludge."

He stopped, trying to look brave, but failing miserably. "What do you mean by a real jolt?"

"Guess we'll find out, huh?" Boneys smiled, giving Rodney a good look at his cavity-ridden teeth, making Rodney cringe again at the sight. He knelt beside Rodney and pulled out one of the tools.

Before they had a chance to begin, one of the two men came out of Conteale's ship, looking around. Both Boneys and Rodney shrank back deeper into the cabin of their ship, trying to avoid being seen. Then Rodney moved forward again, sitting in the pilot's seat. "I'll power down as many systems as possible to make us look like an empty ship, but sooner or later, they will come here."

Boneys sounded a little desperate when he asked, "Then why don't we just get out of here? We can hide somewhere else and come back when the coast is clear."

"Because my friends might be dead by then!"

"That's not my problem!"

"Well, it's mine, so shut up!" Rodney looked outside, wishing for help, at least help that would spare him from putting up with dim wits like Boneys. 

He divided his attention between Boneys and the world outside the ship, but when he turned suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Boneys' dark expression. After a moment, Boneys seemed to relax. He picked up one of the cutting tools from the pile he'd brought with him and said, "Okay, okay, forget I said anything. Why don't we get this bracelet off of you while we still can?"

Rodney nodded, glancing outside once more before he turned towards Boneys, and then the side of his head exploded with pain. He fell to one side before he realized what had happened, and then he heard Boneys laughing as he tossed the cutting tool to the deck and pushed Rodney clear of the pilot's seat.

Rodney tried to blink away the darkness at the edge of his vision. He caught sight of Boneys at the controls. _Crap, I thought I was on the up side of this nightmare, but it looks like I'm still stuck here and now one of the resident looneys just tried to kill me._

_When will this crap ever end?_

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Ronon, you must rest," Casea said firmly, practically running to keep up with him when he returned with McMurphy.

The Satedan was pissed. Their first try at finding a way out of the mines had failed when they came to another cave in, so they'd to double back, and now they were going to explore a different branch, hopefully one without a cave in to block their path again.

Casea caught his arm to stop him, worry evident in her features. Ronon took a deep breath. He didn't want to be rude. In fact, he was grateful for all of her help, but right then, she was just too distracting. He had more important things to do than stand around and talk about his health. 

"Please, Ronon, just take a moment to – "

When he actually yielded and stopped, she was so surprised she almost ran into him. Ronon caught her eye. "How can you honestly expect me to rest when two members of my team are missing and Conteale is still on the loose?"

"Because I care about you," she said emphatically, her gaze never wavering.

"You – don't – know – me!" he growled, throwing both hands up in the air.

Normally, that would have sent most people running, but Casea stood her ground. "I know your bravery. I know your determination. I know your loyalty. Ronon, what else is there to know?"

He closed his eyes, shaking his head for a moment before he turned to McMurphy. "Come on, let's move out."

She put a hand on Ronon's arm and her voice was softer as she said, "Your shoulder is bleeding more heavily."

He glanced down at it. "It's bled before. I'll be all right. I won't be gone long."

McMurphy paused, looking at Ronon's darkly stained shirt. "She's got a point."

Casea licked her lips. "Make him listen to reason."

McMurphy's eyebrows went up with the comment. "Ma'am, nobody can make Ronon do something he doesn't want to do – well, except for Colonel Sheppard."

Ronon started moving away as he spoke, "Let's go."

The two men jogged away in silence. 

After a moment, Ronon pulled his blaster in case they came upon another Madj. At least that was what he told himself he was doing. In reality, holding his weapon gave him something else to focus on, something besides the ache in his shoulder and his worry for Sheppard. He tightened his grip and ran a little faster. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

John felt a hand on his shoulder and he swung out blindly with one fist. There was a muffled groan when he connected, and then he heard someone say, "Stop fighting us, Colonel. We're just trying to help you."

John opened his eyes and saw a blurry form hovering over him, and began to struggle again. 

"Easy, Colonel. Try not to move around. You're hurt."

The voice was vaguely familiar and John slowed down a bit, but mostly because he had to. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing hard, his arm wound feeling like it was literally aflame.

A hand patted him on the shoulder again. "That's it. Relax."

John opened his eyes and managed a one word question, "Who?"

"It's Sgt. Stackhouse, sir. My team found you a little while ago."

John squinted to get a better look at the figure and it helped to a certain degree. He recognized Stackhouse's hair and face, but everything else was blurry. John swallowed and realized he was trembling again as he held one hand over the other arm. His head and ribs weren't too happy with him right then, either.

"The others?" he asked, distantly aware he had graduated up to two words.

"The rest of the team is here, sir. The jumper crashed nearby. We found you when we came down to the stream to fill our canteens."

John shook his head slightly, his voice low and raspy as he forced his question out. "No, McKay – Ronon – the prisoners."

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what you're talking about. It was just dumb luck that we happened to find you."

"We're at the jumper?" John asked, recognizing the jumper's rear compartment. His thoughts were moving too damned slow.

"Yeah, we carried you back here. This has been our base of operations since the crash. We got you out of those wet clothes and patched up your injuries as best we could."

John nodded as he noticed he was now wearing a new, dry set of clean BDUs. And he felt much better than he had when he first awakened at the stream. In fact, his pain level was down considerably. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What did you give me?"

Stackhouse pursed his lips together. "You were in a lot of pain after we changed your clothes, so I gave you a dose of morphine. I hope that was all right."

John nodded. "Thought so. Thanks."

He saw Yamato rubbing at the reddened area on his jaw and cringed. "I hit you?"

Yamato nodded. 

"Sorry about that."

John blinked and looked around again. Finally, it felt like the synapses in his brain were starting to fire again. He rubbed a hand over his face and Stackhouse leaned closer again. 

"Do you want something to drink?"

John closed his eyes and groaned. "No, I think I swallowed half of that damned river."

"Well, you need to take something for your fever." He paused to hand John a canteen and two aspirin tablets.

After he swallowed the tablets, John rolled to one side in preparation to stand. "We've got to get back to the mine. Ronon and the villagers will need our fire power if Conteale's men catches up with them."

Stackhouse looked confused. "Not a lot of that makes sense to me, sir. I guess we've been out of the loop. We do have some prisoners, though, five of those raiders you radioed Atlantis about. Their leader – "

"Captain Conteale – "

"Yes, Captain Conteale sent them out after we crashed. I've got Corrigan watching them right now. So, far we haven't seen anyone else come our way – "

"Yeah, well, McKay's been keeping her pretty busy."

When Stackhouse looked at him with a blank stare, he added, "Don't worry, Sergeant. It's a long story and I'll explain along the way."

John paused. "Is the DHD on the jumper working?"

Stackhouse shook his head. "No, sir, it was damaged in the crash."

"Of course, it was," John said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He started to get up and felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"You shouldn't move around so soon. You weren't in the best condition when we found you, especially that cut on your arm."

"Cut?" John asked, glancing down at the bandage on his arm.

There was a streak of blood beginning to seep through the gauze. He put a hand over the dressing. That explained why his arm hurt so much. Stackhouse continued, "We need to get you some real medical attention."

John shook his head, irritated by the return of his arm wound and his general feeling of uselessness. "Do you happen to see Beckett standing around here? I'll make do. Those people need our help. Let's get going. Where's my P90?"

Stackhouse sighed and handed it to him, along with a jacket. After John put it on, he got to his feet and used all the bravado he had to step forward. "Let's move out."

**oOoOoOoOo**

Ronon and McMurphy were moving at a fast clip when Ronon stopped. He bent over as he caught his breath. McMurphy paused at his side, barely winded, a fact that irritated Ronon a great deal. He wasn't used to being the slow one. 

McMurphy stepped a little closer. "Are you okay? How's the shoulder doing?"

Ronon shook his head, still taking in large gasps of air. "That's not why I stopped. Can't you feel it?"

McMurphy looked around in confusion. "Feel what?"

Ronon straightened and pointed. "The fresh air. There's a breeze coming in this way. I'm going on ahead to make sure the route is clear all the way through. You go back and tell the others to be ready to move out."

McMurphy nodded and turned back the way he'd come. 

Ronon looked ahead, resting his hand over his shoulder wound as his breathing finally started to slow down. With each passing minute, the throbbing in his shoulder worsened. Instead of dwelling on the pain, he focused his thoughts on Conteale and her raiders and the retribution they deserved. They would pay dearly for their crimes, if it was the last thing he did. 

He moved his hand away from his shoulder, but stopped when he saw the amount of blood on his fingers. The bleeding was getting worse. Sighing, he simply wiped the blood on his pants and started to run. He had a job to do, but now he knew there was a clock ticking on how long he'd be able to do it.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Major Lorne looked up when he saw Dr. Beckett exit the transporter and followed his gaze around the gate room. It was nearly 6AM, but the gate room and control center were as crowded as they ever got during the peak hours of the day. 

Dr. Weir was pulling out all the stops in an effort to get the gate functional again. Various teams were working hard, most barely aware of anything besides what they were assigned to do. And a good portion of those working had been going nonstop for the past twenty-four hours. It was starting to take its toll on the staff, Dr. Beckett included.

Beckett came to a stop beside Lorne and sighed, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck as he asked, "How's he holding up?" 

Lorne shrugged, and then gasped from the movement. He cursed under his breath. Beckett put a hand on his shoulder. "You've got to remember not to do that until your stitches heal. And you're looking a bit peaked. Perhaps, you should rest for a bit."

"This isn't about me, Doc," Lorne replied, taking a breath before adding, "It's about Dr. Z, and I've got to say I'm more than a little worried about him."

"He bloody well shouldn't be here," Beckett said under his breath, the bleakness of his attitude written across his expression.

Lorne took on a Scottish brogue as he repeated Beckett's comment made before the explosion, _"Neither should you, laddie, so let's just give it a rest and press forward."_

Beckett's expression went dark. "Do not throw my words back at me, not even in jest. Radek has serious injuries that need to be monitored."

Lorne put up a hand. "Hey, I wasn't joking, only making a point. You, me, Zelenka, none of us should be here, but it's not like we have a lot of choice in the matter."

Lorne looked back at Zelenka as he sat on a chaise lounge scavenged from somebody's quarters. He had his leg elevated and his laptop propped on his lap. Zelenka was typing with one hand while the other was clutched close to his chest, even as he directed the activity of three people working on control crystals in front of him. 

Lorne noticed how Zelenka's eyeglass frames were taped together on one side with adhesive tape after they'd been broken in the blast, giving him an even more vulnerable appearance. 

Beckett scratched at one temple. "I should turn in my medical license for allowing him to work in his condition. He needs to be in the infirmary and heavily medicated for his injuries."

Lorne grunted. "Try telling him that."

Dr. Weir stepped up beside them. "Carson," she said simply.

Beckett nodded and asked, "Any progress in getting the gate operational?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. How are things in the infirmary?"

"About the same." 

Zelenka made a hissing sound and clutched his leg, making Beckett shake his head as his temper flared. "That's it! I'm taking him back to the infirmary!"

Dr. Weir frowned and said, "Carson, listen to me, just for a moment."

Beckett only threw one hand into the air and walked away, muttering, "What the hell are we doing here?" 

Weir went with him, speaking in a lower tone. Lorne couldn't make out the words she was saying, but Beckett's temperament improved slightly. Their conversation attracted Zelenka's attention and he watched them for a moment. As he did, Lorne found himself drifting closer to Zelenka while the others were occupied. 

Zelenka glanced up at him, noticing his presence, and attempted a smile, but failed as Lorne knelt down beside him. "How're you doing, Doc?"

"I'm fine," Zelenka rasped, lying through his teeth.

Lorne stared at him for a long moment. There was no way in hell Zelenka was anywhere close to being fine and both of them knew it. Instead of pointing out the obvious, Lorne glanced down at Zelenka's laptop. "You making much progress with the gate?"

Zelenka shrugged slightly, and then inhaled sharply from the movement. Lorne brought his hand up to rest on the arm of Zelenka's chaise lounge. "Doc?"

Again, Zelenka shrugged him off, more carefully this time, but waved him away with determination. Lorne paused, not quite sure what to do. He couldn't see how the little guy was still going after everything he'd been through. "Is there anything I can get for you? Something to eat or drink? I make a great go-fer guy."

This time when Zelenka smiled, it was more genuine, though the smile seemed to reflect only a fraction of his usual vitality. He pointed to an empty cup beside him. "I could use a fresh cup of coffee."

Lorne took the cup and stood. "You got it. Be back in a sec."

He stood, and started to walk away but stopped when Zelenka grimaced, holding his leg. Lorne turned and knelt back down. "You need Beckett?" he asked when Zelenka's eyes stayed closed.

Zelenka merely shook his head, making Lorne's concern grow. 

Lorne licked his lips and said softly, "I thought you didn't like the infirmary, Doc. You keep it up at this pace and you'll wind up back there for a long time."

Zelenka grimaced again, but managed to control it long enough to look up at Lorne. "I do not wish to leave."

"You need to take a break. Just close your eyes for a few minutes."

Zelenka's gaze took on a tortured look. "I'm afraid if I do, I'll fall asleep and they won't be able to awaken me in time to help." 

Zelenka moved again and squeezed his eyes tightly shut again. Enough was enough, Lorne told himself. He stood and whistled, catching the attention of Beckett and Weir. When Beckett looked up, Lorne pointed at Zelenka. "Over here."

Zelenka opened his eyes to glare at him, but Lorne shook his head. "Just let him take a look at you."

Beckett was there a moment later. Compassion and concern marked his expression as he knelt beside Zelenka. "Aye, you've looked better, my friend. Rest for a moment and let me take your vitals."

He pulled his stethoscope and a blood pressure kit from the medical bag he'd left nearby. Lorne watched the physician wince from his own injuries as he knelt again, but then hide it behind a quick smile as he patted Zelenka on the arm. 

_Damn, this sucks_ , Lorne thought as he watched Beckett work.

Weir came up beside Lorne and asked, "Is he okay?"

Lorne glanced in her direction and shook his head. "I'm not a doctor or anything, but I don't think he can hang in there much longer."

Beckett finished his examination and said, "It's time to return to the infirmary, son."

"No," Zelenka replied firmly, shaking his head. 

Beckett leaned closer, speaking emphatically, "If you don't go now and rest a bit, you'll pass out and I'll take you there myself. You need pain medication and rest, or you'll exhaust yourself to a point it will affect your recovery."

"The pain medication makes me sick to my stomach and it doesn't help that much, besides it will knock me out for hours and what good will I be to the others then?"

Beckett looked up at Dr. Weir for backup. She knelt down beside Zelenka. "I trust you to know your own limits. If you say you can stay, I'll believe you, but don't make statements you can't live up to. Radek, in all honesty, it's obvious you need something more for the pain."

Zelenka glanced up at her and then to Beckett. "I need something to take the edge off of it, something that won't knock me out."

Weir and Zelenka looked to Beckett who sighed deeply. "Okay, I have something I can give you that won't cause as much sedation, but I'll be checking you every fifteen to thirty minutes. If I find something I don't like, I'm hauling your butt into the infirmary no matter what you say."

Zelenka nodded. "Fair enough."

Weir patted the Czech on the arm and backed away until she was standing next to Lorne. She rubbed her arms as if suddenly cold. "I hate this," she said quietly. 

"I know," he replied.

Finally, Beckett gave Zelenka an injection. Beckett's frown deepened as he rocked back on his heels. He looked up at Weir, and there was something in his gaze that confirmed Lorne's suspicions, suspicions that they all shared about Zelenka's continued presence in the control room. 

Lorne glanced down at the empty cup in his hand. "Oh yeah, right. Coffee. I told the doc I'd get him a fresh cup. I'll be right back."

By the time Lorne returned with the coffee, Beckett was back with Weir. Lorne nodded to them, and then stopped beside Zelenka. He waited a moment while Zelenka gave directions to one of his people. On the surface, it seemed there was so much activity going on around them that nobody even noticed Zelenka's injured state, but if one paid close attention, they'd see the worried, lingering glances given him from practically everyone there.

Lorne bent down and handed the cup to Zelenka. "Here you go, Doc," he said with a smile.

Zelenka caught his arm as he went to move away. "Major, I know you are in some discomfort yourself and that you should probably be off somewhere recovering, so perhaps you understand better than most why I have to do this – why I have to see this project through to completion."

When Lorne nodded reluctantly, Zelenka continued, "Yes, I see you do. Maybe you could explain it to Dr. Beckett in a way he can understand, because I don't seem to be doing a very good job of it."

Lorne felt his expression soften. "He knows why, Doc. He just doesn't like it much."

Zelenka smiled sadly. "If the truth be told, I don't like it very much either, but we are close, very close to a working solution. We just need to keep after it until the stargate is working again."

Lorne winked at him as he stood. "Like a bear after honey, Doc."

"Like a bear after honey." Zelenka's renewed smile did Lorne a lot of good. The little guy had the determination of a giant. Zelenka's voice was lighter as he said, "See, you do understand."

Lorne chuckled. "Yeah, well, okay, I'll try to keep Beckett off your back."

Zelenka nodded and Lorne turned to walk away, feeling encouraged for the first time in hours. He stopped when he glanced back to see Zelenka bend forward with a shaky hand pressed to his leg. The very sight of Zelenka in so much pain knocked the wind from Lorne's sails. 

The city had been through a long, hard twenty-four hours, but things were going to get much worse if the gate wasn't up and running soon. Unfortunately, everything involved in making that happen seemed dependent upon how long poor Dr. Zelenka lasted.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	21. Chapter 21

When Ronon stepped out of the mine, he felt like he'd emerged from the gateway to hell. The chill of the early morning air was welcomed after the sauna-like temperatures in the mine, and he took in a long deep breath, finally inhaling the air of freedom. It was something he hadn't been sure he'd ever enjoy again. He took another breath, then glanced back at the mine's opening. He never wanted to go underground again. 

He squinted against the sun that was creeping over a hilltop as his eyes tried to adjust to the dawn's morning light. After being inside the mines for so long with only the glow of the Benji crystals to guide them, his eyes had gotten used to the darkness. Closing his eyes, Ronon leaned his back against a tree. Sheppard and McKay were still missing, and then there was the whole matter of the villagers to take care of. He couldn't relax until all of them were safe. 

After resting for another moment, he pushed himself away from the tree and pulled his weapon. He scouted the area to make sure Conteale's men weren't lying in wait, then he looked for a safe area for the villagers to hide out. Once done, he returned to the entrance and headed inside. He didn't have to go far, because McMurphy was with Casea and Denaz, along with the rest of the villagers, as they approached the exit. 

Casea came to a stop in front of him. "What did you find?"

Ronon glanced around. "It looks good out there. I think we're safe for the moment. There's some dense forest right below here. It's probably the best place to lie low while I go ahead to see if I can find Sheppard. If he's not – " he paused, emotion hitting him hard and without warning, and then he forced himself to continue, despite the uncharacteristic tremor in his voice. "If I can't find him or McKay right away, I'll scout the area, and then come back for you."

Casea put a hand to his forearm and squeezed, the gesture giving much more comfort than Ronon would have anticipated. When she spoke, her voice so soft, he could barely hear her. "Take a minute to rest before you go, Ronon."

Ronon shook his head. "You know I can't do that."

She sighed slightly. "I know you won't do that, because of your concern for your friends."

Ronon shrugged. "Same thing." 

Casea looked up at him, her eyes shiny with emotion, and nodded. "You put the needs of others so automatically before your own."

Ronon grunted, and then winced when he moved the wrong way. The reaction caught Casea's attention and she reached up and pulled back his shirt to look at the wound. Frowning at him, she said, "At least, let me bind the wound to slow down the bleeding. It will only take a moment."

Ronon glanced down at the blood seeping down his shirt. He didn't want to waste time arguing with her. It would be faster to let her do what she wanted, so he nodded. "Okay, but hurry. I need to get moving."

A couple of minutes later, he was ready to go. He started to walk away when Casea stopped him again, surprising him as she wrapped her arms around his chest, giving him a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for saving my people. Be well, Ronon. I pray John and Rodney are still alive."

Ronon felt a little awkward with her display of affection, but he was also strangely warmed by it. He patted her on the back before pulling away. Without warning, she faltered and he caught her. Denaz moved forward to help Ronon as he said, "I told her she needed to rest."

"What is it?" Ronon asked as he helped to settle her on the ground.

"The healing, two treatments, one after the other, takes its toll on the healer, especially after being held as slaves by the Sinomean raiders all this time. I told her I should do the second one, but – "

"I'm okay," she said quietly, her voice rising to interrupt them. 

"Mother – "

"Shush," she said, and started to get up.

Denaz stopped her. "You need to rest."

She looked up at Ronon. "So does he."

She smiled wearily, and said, "Don't worry, I will rest. Go, find John and Rodney."

He nodded, not really wanting to leave her in the shape she was in. Finally, his concern for the missing men won out. He told himself Casea just needed to rest, whereas his teammates might need his help to save their lives. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Just hold tight." 

He looked at McMurphy and stood, pulling him aside. "Watch over them until we come back for you, but if it's over twelve hours, you better assume something's gone wrong, and follow your orders. You're a good man. I know you'll keep these people safe."

McMurphy nodded. Ronon glanced at Casea as she got to her feet with Denaz's help. He gave her a quick smile and left without another word. His thoughts went to Sheppard and McKay. His gut told him they were still alive, but his head whispered doubts. It didn't matter, though, because he rarely listened to his head anyway.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Elizabeth stood in the doorway to her office. Across the control room, she saw Radek sitting in his makeshift recovery bed and work station area. Radek yawned and rubbed his eyes. She still worried about him, but she was also encouraged at the same time. Radek's people had made a good deal of progress in the last few hours. She felt a glimmer of hope grow inside her heart. 

Radek turned toward her and waved a couple fingers. Elizabeth joined him and asked, "What is it, Radek?"

"I believe we are ready to test the gate," he said, his enthusiasm obvious.

Her smile grew. "Excellent."

"Just a couple of things to finish first." He paused as he issued a few more orders, and then watched his laptop carefully. 

As he worked, one hand rubbed at his leg, as if to rub away a troublesome cramp instead of a broken bone. Finally, the hand dropped away and he looked up at Weir again. "Okay, I believe we are ready for the test. Dr. Kline, please activate the power to the gate."

Kline pressed some buttons and the gate lit up. There was a collective cheer amongst the workers. Radek nodded to the stargate technician. "Okay, dial the address."

Elizabeth chewed on her lip as she waited. There was a rush of blue spilling forth from the stargate and then it receded, just as it was supposed to do. The seed of hope inside of her blossomed with the sight. 

"Open a channel," she ordered, barely able to contain her excitement.

"This is Atlantis, please respond – "

There was a noise, and then Radek shouted, "No, no, this isn't good. Kline, cut the power now!"

Elizabeth turned in time to see Kline do as ordered, but there was a spray of sparks from some equipment as he finished. She bit her lip as frustration replaced hope again. 

Radek sighed and rubbed at his forehead as the normally reserved Dr. Kline kicked over a nearby chair. Grumbling disappointment arose from the others. Radek tried to infuse his voice with as much strength as possible, but still came off sounding miserable. "This is just a minor setback, everyone. We are close to resolving this problem, we just need to keep at it."

After a few instructions, Radek's teams went back to work. Radek shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Lorne knelt beside him. The major was just as worried as everyone else was about the missing Atlantis teams, but something in the events of the last day had made him seem more protective of Radek. 

Lorne leaned over and said, "You don't look so good, Doc. Maybe you should rest for a minute."

Radek shook his head once. It was a very slight shake, as if more would have taken too much energy. Lorne looked up at Weir and pursed his lips together. She took a deep breath. Beckett had gone to check on some of his other patients and hadn't returned yet. There was a nurse Beckett had left to watch over things while he was gone. Elizabeth met her gaze. The nurse nodded and went to Radek's side, but Radek waved her away, too.   
  
As much as Elizabeth wanted the gate active, her concern forced her to tap her headset. "Carson, could you spare a minute to check on Zelenka?"

"Och, I take it he's being obstinate again?"

"He could give Sheppard and McKay lessons."

There was a deep sigh, then Carson said, "Very well, I'm on my way."

Lorne had been right to be concerned about Radek. Radek didn't look good at all. Maybe he was just due for more pain medication, or maybe he was getting worse. She hoped it was the first option, because that would be so much easier to fix.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The hilly terrain slowed John down, but not as much as he thought it would. Of course, he still had that dose of morphine running through his body. Once that wore off, he'd be in a whole world of hurt, but maybe by then, they'd have a better handle on their situation.

John glanced up at the morning sun, grateful that it wasn't raining like the day before. He let his P90 hang from its clip as he tried to slow his breathing. The infection in his arm had grown worse again, along with the stomach cramping and weakness. 

The poison was still coursing through his system, probably more so now that the effects of the healing were almost gone. He had to face facts. If a team from Atlantis didn't show up soon, his chances of survival weren't good. He wasn't really sure how long he had left, but he meant to make the most of it.

"Sir, over here," Stackhouse called out. 

When John looked over, he saw Ronon approaching at a slow jog. The Satedan's face lit up as he saw John. John smiled back at him until he realized Ronon was alone, without the villagers or McKay. That wasn't good. Something twisted in John's heart, something he wasn't prepared to acknowledge. McKay and the others had to be okay, too. He just refused to consider anything less than that. 

John noticed how Ronon was favoring his shoulder. There was a makeshift bandage wrapped around it and a dark red stain of blood that ran down the front of his shirt. Obviously, the healing of Ronon's bullet wounds had reverted, too. 

"Where did you come from?" John asked as soon as Ronon was close enough.

Ronon grinned. "I've been tracking you for a half mile. You've got a worn place on the instep of your right boot. Once I saw that, I knew it was only a matter of time until I found you."

John smirked with a sudden rush of pride for his teammate's tracking abilities. He waited for Ronon to come closer, then asked, "Where are the villagers?" 

Ronon gestured with his head. "I left them with McMurphy. They are hiding out in the forest until I go back for them."

Ronon put out a hand to shake, but when John took it, Ronon pulled him into a gentle bear hug. "The others said you were dead, that you couldn't have survived the trip downstream."

When John pulled back, he looked up at Ronon. "And what did you say?"

Ronon grinned again and said, "That they didn't know you as well as I did." 

"Well, I'm too ornery to die just yet," John said with a weary smile. It faded when he asked, "Have you seen McKay?"

Ronon's expression tightened. "No."

John sighed and glanced up at Ronon. "Well, what are we standing around for? Let's go find him."

Ronon nodded. "I figure if we follow this path to the crest of the hillside, we'll be able to sneak back down into the valley and approach the Sinomeans using the forest as cover."

John took a step forward. "You take point, Ronon – "

Ronon put a hand on John's shoulder, interrupting the orders John was about to give. His voice was low and concerned as he asked, "Wait, Sheppard, how are you doing?"

John frowned and licked his lips, avoiding Ronon's intense gaze. "Well, I guess I could say I've felt better."

He paused as he took in Ronon's bloody appearance. "And, apparently, so have you."

Ronon nodded, and the moment became awkward. They didn't have time to waste standing around doing nothing. John turned toward the others and raised his voice. "We need to overtake the Sinomean forces before they have a chance to pack up and leave. Yamato and Grimm, you follow Ronon. Stackhouse and I will cover your backs. Let's get moving."

Everyone fell into place without a word, and soon they were on their way. One way or another, they would find McKay.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Rodney was still reeling from the blow to his head, but he never lost consciousness. He had to smile when he heard Boneys try to start up the ship's engines to take off and nothing responded for him. 

Rodney pushed himself up on one elbow to gloat and spoke between gasps of breath. "Thought... you might... try to... double cross me."

Murder flashed in Boneys' eyes. "Give me the blasted password or I'll kill you where you lay!"

Rodney stuck out his chin and glared back at him. "Kill me... and you'll never... get out of here."

Boneys stood. "I will, too!"

Rodney took a deep breath, followed by another. Finally, he felt stronger. "Oh, please, give me a break. If you could have, you would have already. No, your fate is tied to mine, so you'll do as I say."

Something snapped in Boneys and the murderous intent that had been brewing was now transformed into imminent intent. He leapt forward, wrapping his hands around Rodney's throat. Rodney tried to push him away, but Boneys was strong for a wiry little guy. As his airway was cut off, Rodney's good arm flailed out desperately. Everything was starting to go dark when his right hand found one of the tools lying on the floor. He swung it and hit Boneys on the side of the head. Though he was stunned by the blow, Boneys' fingers never left Rodney's throat. Worse, he started squeezing harder. 

In pure desperation, Rodney's finger activated the power switch and shoved the cutting tool up into Boneys' chest. Boneys screamed and fell back to the deck beside Rodney. The man held his chest as the blood spilled through his fingers, the cutting tool still running, but then his hands dropped away and his gaze went distant. 

Rodney laid there for a long moment again gasping for air. He pulled the cutting tool from Boneys' chest, ready to attack again if Boneys was faking, but then he waved a hand over Boneys' eyes and knew the Sinomean was really dead. He switched the tool off, dropping it to the deck. God, what had he done?

He felt as if he was going to be sick, but there just wasn't anything left in his stomach to toss back up again. Besides, he was too busy trying to breathe to worry about puking.

After a few moments of holding his throat, he tried to recover as he wheezed painfully. He continued to take open-mouthed breaths until his respiration became a little easier. He staggered to his feet and looked outside for any unwelcome visitors that might be lurking about. 

Relieved that the raiders were still out of sight, he plopped into the pilot's seat and bent down to pick up the cutting tool again. He hefted its weight in one hand and sighed. It appeared the device that had just saved his life was now going to serve him once again. He used a rag to wipe the blood from the tool and began to cut the control bracelet from his wrist. Suddenly, he hissed with new pain as the blade breached the bracelet's hardened covering. 

Damn it, Boneys had been right. The bracelet zapped him with sharp bursts of electrical current, but he ignored it, thinking only to be rid of the device. The pain increased until his arm was numb, but he kept on. He was so close to freedom. 

With a raspy grunt of relief, Rodney cut the last segment of the bracelet away from his wrist, and dropped the cutting tool to the ground. He slumped over in the pilot's seat, gasping for air again, but this time, he finally passed out.

oOoOoOoOo


	22. Chapter 22

John took a slow breath, trying to tame the subtle trembling of his muscles as he watched the Sinomeans in the valley down below. Heat and cold ran through him at increasingly shorter intervals and he knew his fever was climbing, maybe not high as it had once been, but it was definitely back, and there was even a more pronounced warmth coming from his arm. His fingertips brushed against the wound itself and he ground his teeth together to keep from groaning aloud at the touch.

_Stop thinking about the negative and focus on the positive_ , he admonished himself. 

Not everything was getting worse, he told himself. There was good news, too. They were in position around the main entrance to the mine and so far, they hadn't encountered any problems. Ronon, Grimm, and Yamato were moving in closer.

"Ronon, be careful where you set that C-4," John said quietly as he watched through the sight on his P90. "We don't want those Benji crystals going off at the same time."

Ronon stopped and glanced his way. "You said you only wanted a distraction. Distractions don't usually cause really big explosions. I can blow something up, if you want."

John grunted. "No, that's okay."

When there was a pause in the conversation, Stackhouse spoke up, asking, "Yamato and Grimm, are you in place?"

Both men radioed back that they were. John looked around once more and said, "Okay, Ronon, let her rip."

Ronon detonated the explosive, and then they all waited for the mass exodus they expected to come from the mine. In all, twenty Sinomeans emerged, along with one coming from Conteale's cruiser. They spread out quickly, along the routes that John and Ronon had discussed, but a few went in unexpected directions. When the raiders tried to stray beyond the perimeter John's men had established, a burst of gunfire kept them corralled.

The raiders were all armed and angry looking, like they were most of the time, but there was something different about their movements, a distinct sense of disorganization. John kept waiting for Conteale to appear. He finally decided she was too smart to allow herself to be caught out in the open like the others were. 

After another moment, he knew it was time to speak. He called out to the raiders, "This is Lt. Colonel Sheppard. You're surrounded. Give up your weapons and you won't be harmed."

"What have you done with Captain Conteale?" came back in reply.

John's eyebrow went up with that revelation, but it didn't slow his response. "We'll talk about it once you've surrendered."

"You don't know much about Sinomean raiders, do you? We don't surrender."

John frowned in irritation. Of course, they didn't. 

Gunfire erupted and he joined in. In the middle of flying bullets from both sides, John realized they hadn't tried to use Rodney as a hostage. In fact, they didn't say a word about him. The thought made John feel a little weak inside, like some part of him had just broken without a way to fix it. Then he redoubled his resolve. 

"McKay's alive until I see evidence otherwise," he whispered and picked off a raider who was trying to get past him into the forest.

Luckily, John's men were armed with extra ammo magazines from Stackhouse's jumper, but they were still outnumbered five to one. John smirked. Those were pretty good odds as opposed to other missions he'd been on.

John heard a familiar high-pitched whine and looked up. A couple of the Sinomeans must have gotten access to a weapons cache, because suddenly there were grenades flying through the air. 

"Ah, crap," John muttered as he ducked. "I hate those damned things."

As the nearby blast shook the ground beneath him, he decided maybe their odds might not be as good as he first estimated.

**oOoOoOoOo**

An explosion startled Rodney back to awareness and the gunfire that followed ensured his full attention. He groaned as he held his head and straightened from his slumped position in the pilot's seat. He stared at the battle going on near the entrance to the mine. It looked like the Sinomeans were fighting against another force. 

A smile sprang to his lips as he sat up a little taller. "It's Atlantis. The cavalry has finally arrived," he whispered.

His voice was considerably huskier than normal from the attempted strangling, and he gingerly touched at what he knew had to be bruises around his neck. Some of the areas were definitely swollen and probably looked awful. Great, just what he needed, another war wound. Speaking of wars – 

He turned back to the battle outside, but he wasn't pleased with what he saw. Some of the Sinomeans had grenade launchers now. _What? Was there a never-ending supply of those things?_

He looked at the forces opposing the Sinomeans more closely and frowned. It didn't seem to be a large contingent and he wondered why Atlantis hadn't sent in more help, but he was a scientist, not a military tactician. 

The sun was now higher overhead, so it had to be midday. How long had he been unconscious? Rodney wiped at the slow seep of blood coming from the cut on the side of his head and sighed. There was also a goose egg growing at the site. His head was pounding. Boneys had really nailed him good. He was probably going to die from a sub-dural hematoma or the like. 

Rodney continued to watch the battle, but he worried as he did. It just wouldn't be fair if he made it to the rescue only to die from a hemorrhaging brain moments later. Then he sat up straighter, his imminent death cast to the back of his mind. "Wait a minute! I don't have to be a spectator here!"

He started powering up systems. Soon, he had weapons online. He licked his lips and aimed his first salvo at one of the grenade launchers. He fired and was rewarded with a hit, not exactly where he'd been aiming, but it was a hit nonetheless. 

"YES!" he shouted, his voice breaking at the end.

The raiders scurried in different directions and Rodney enjoyed every moment of their confusion. "Okay, let's try this again."

He fired once more, but wasn't rewarded with a big explosion this time. Instead, the shot went well beyond his intended target. "Hmm, the targeting system on this ship must need to be calibrated." 

He nodded to himself. It had to be something like that. After all, he couldn't have missed from that range. He started to fire a third time, but nothing happened. 

"What the hell?" he asked, looking at the consoles. "Worthless piece of junk."

He dug underneath the weapons console and found a couple of loose connections. He fixed them and closed the console, looking up to check on the activity of the battle going on before him. A few of the Sinomeans were breaking away to move in his direction. 

"Come on, try it, you assholes. I'll blow you away," he said in his best tough guy imitation.

He was about to fire again when there was a strange sound, and then nothing. "Oh, give me a break," he whined, opening the console again. 

This time, he followed the wiring all the way through, finding little problems that he corrected along the way. Something else in the console's circuitry caught his attention. He dropped the tool he held in his hand and said, "Crap!"

He backed away from the console, shaking his head. "How could I have forgotten about that!"

Then he stopped again, still in shock. "Holy crap! I must be losing my mind!"

He grabbed his gun, along with the ship's toolkit to save time later, and threw them all into a duffle bag. 

"Holy, holy crap," he muttered as he looked out the window one more time, and then rushed to the rear hatch and opened it, pausing for a second to lock it behind him. Nobody was going to get into this ship without the right access code. 

The sound of gunfire barely registered as he ran toward Conteale's ship, never noticing if anyone else was around or not. He had to stop that self-destruct Conteale had put into place or everyone was going to die. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

Elizabeth tried not to look impatient as she stood beside Carson and Radek while Carson examined Radek. Carson didn't bother to hide the occasional glare he gave to the world in general. He was not a happy camper, but he remained silent.

Kline approached them. "Radek, I think we are ready to try this again."

Lorne was in full tactical gear by this point and he stopped at Elizabeth's side, leaning close to her as he said, "I know you'll probably say I'm an overactive boy scout, but I've got a good feeling about this try. I've got teams ready to enter the gate once you get a connection."

"Overactive boy scouts can be quite helpful." Elizabeth smiled. "Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the connection holds."

Radek looked up from his laptop, looking a little gray. "I agree, Thomas. Let's try it again."

He glanced up at Elizabeth and Lorne, and gave them a weak smile. "It will work this time."

Elizabeth nodded encouragingly as Carson stood, but didn't move far from Radek's side. 

The scientist sounded very frail as he raised his voice and said, "Okay, Kline, activate it."

Everyone held their breath when the gate came to life, just as before. With a silent nod, Radek gestured to Chuck, the gate technician, and the man quickly dialed the address. Elizabeth felt her heart quicken with the sight that followed. The worm hole whooshed forward in all its glory and stabilized. 

After a few seconds, Radek let out a long breath. "We have verification that the stargate is active and ready for transit."

Elizabeth nodded at Lorne. "Go."

The major tapped his headset. "Okay, people, we've got a green light. Prepare to go through the gate." He rushed up the stairs to the jumper bay. 

Radek let his head drop back and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut in relief. Elizabeth knelt down beside him and squeezed his forearm. "You did it," she whispered gratefully as she met Radek's gaze. He nodded, and then closed his eyes again.

When she looked up at Carson, he was moving with renewed energy. "If they are going through now, I should go with them. The injured will require medical attention."

Elizabeth swallowed uncomfortably as she stood, and then stepped closer to him. "Carson, let's find out what their situation is. It might not be safe for you to go there yet."

Carson's jaw tightened. "Elizabeth, with all due respect, I'll be damned if I sit on my thumbs while there is a viable way to get to my patients."

Even though she didn't want to, she nodded in agreement. "Get your stuff together, but you're waiting until Major Lorne's group goes through to secure the area."

Carson nodded and turned to one of his nurses. "Move Radek to the infirmary and have Dr. Kent take a close look at him."

He patted Radek on the arm and said, "Good job, lad, now just relax and let my people pamper you. I'll check on you when I get back."

Radek nodded. With half-lidded eyes, he whispered, "Just bring them all home alive." 

Carson smiled, glancing up at Elizabeth once more before he turned and took the emergency medical kit they had brought to the control room to use for Radek. Then he left for the jumper bay. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

John stared at the smaller Sinomean space ship that had just fired its weapons. The attack had stumped John, mostly because the shot had knocked out one of their own grenade launchers, instead of hitting one of the Atlanteans. He stared in the direction of the ship, waiting to see what happened next, but nothing did. 

The moment the grenade launchers went silent, he started to get up to run, but then his stomach cramped, driving him back down to his knees. In the next second, he was awash in sweat, and before he knew what was happening, he was bent over, retching with dry heaves. Stackhouse was nearby and started to approach when he saw John was down, but John waved him away.

He straightened, raising a knee in preparation to stand as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Go on, Sergeant, while we've got the advantage. I'll be okay. I've got a good view of everything from here. That's an order," he said roughly.

Stackhouse looked reluctant to leave, but the firefight was becoming more intense. Finally, he nodded, and then disappeared. After he got to his feet, John looked more closely at the battle. True to his words, he had a good vantage point to see most of the action, but his gaze kept moving back to the smaller spaceship that had fired on Conteale's men. 

His heart beat a little faster each time he did. Something in his gut whispered Rodney's name. It had to be him. As if on cue, the ship's hatch opened and Rodney exited. John was so relieved, he started to shout to him, but then he saw one of the Sinomeans step out from behind some equipment. The man was about to take aim at Rodney. 

John raised his P90 and fired, hitting McKay's intended assassin with one shot. John glanced back to McKay, but all he saw was McKay's back as he ran to Conteale's ship and then entered, oblivious to any danger around him. 

_What the hell is he doing?_ John wondered as he moved forward.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	23. Chapter 23

Rodney ran through Conteale's ship as if his life depended on it, but it wasn't just his life involved. The fate of so many others rested on what he did or didn't accomplish in the next few minutes. The next few minutes. Crap, that was essentially all he had left before the self-destruct mechanism went off and killed everyone on the planet. Worse, he didn't have Conteale's interface device, so he'd have to do it the old fashioned way. With a broken arm. And a sub-dural hematoma. He sighed. They were all so very dead.

Yet, he kept moving, mostly because he heard Sheppard shouting inside his head to hurry up and just fix the damned thing, making his trip to the bridge a panicked blur. 

Once there, he dropped to the floor beside one of the main consoles and rummaged through the duffle bag for his tools. Turning to the console, he removed the first two clips holding the console's maintenance panel in place, and then cursed as the last one wouldn't budge. His broken arm wasn't helping things at all. He changed tactics and went for a long screwdriver. Using it, he leaned with all of his weight against the frozen clip until it broke and the panel fell open with a loud clang.

"It's about damned time," he whispered. He paused to rub his hand over his cast. The broken limb didn't ache as much as it had at first, but it still hurt enough to wish he was back on Atlantis, begging Carson for some good pain pills. Atlantis. He sighed. He was beginning to wonder if he'd live long enough to step foot in that awesome city again.

He tossed the screwdriver back into the duffle bag and reached for another tool, but stopped when he heard a noise behind him. He grabbed his handgun from the bag instead and spun around, ready to fire until he saw John Sheppard leaning against the doorjamb, covered in mud and looking like he was about to keel over. 

Rodney lowered his weapon and let out a long breath. "Damn it, Sheppard! I almost shot you!"

"I'm glad to see you, too, McKay." Sheppard gave him a crooked smile and limped a few steps closer. 

Rodney noticed Sheppard's staggering steps, along with the way he had the thumb of his left hand looped over his belt, probably to help immobilize his arm and ribs. Sheppard came to a stop in front of him and asked, "Just what the hell are you doing in here?"

Rodney let his shoulders droop and tossed aside the weapon. He pulled out the tool he needed and turned to the console. "Conteale set the ship's self-destruct mechanism to go off in about ten minutes, give or take a few."

Sheppard stepped closer and peered over Rodney's shoulder. "Well, you better get moving. After everything we've been through, blowing up would really spoil my day." 

"Wouldn't do much for mine, either," Rodney muttered as he climbed under the console. "Look, I'll do my best, but I don't have Conteale's damned interface device, so it's going to take me a lot longer to turn it off than it did for her to set it."

"So much for being really smart," Sheppard taunted. 

"Oh, right, throw that at me again." Rodney gritted his teeth together as he worked. "You know, sometimes, I really hate you," he muttered, "especially when you're riding me for things that aren't my fault, and most especially when it's tied to a fast approaching life-or-death deadline. I'll have you know I am smart. Very smart. Brilliantly smart, so kiss my ass." 

Sheppard's voice held his usual sardonic tone as he said, "Speaking of ass kissing, where's Conteale?"

Rodney groaned. _I've got to stop saying that line to Ronon and Sheppard._

He looked out from under the console, forgetting about the verbal jab as he smiled with a strange combination of pride and guilt. "She fell into that huge sludge pond. It acted like quicksand, pulling her under pretty fast."

Sheppard didn't move for a moment as he stood immobile with his right hand cradling his left. When he finally did speak, he looked very disappointed. "Damn, that seems to be a way too easy a death for someone who's done what she's done."

"Yeah, I know, but at least she's dead." Rodney took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He moved closer to the wiring, so that he could tighten a connection. "When did the guys from Atlantis come through the gate?"

Sheppard was rubbing his temple, as if he had a doozy of a headache, but gave Rodney a sharp look with his question. His hand dropped to his side as he said, "As far as I know, we haven't heard a word from Atlantis. I hooked up with Stackhouse's team outside the mine, and then Ronon came along. Right now, they are working to subdue the Sinomean forces."

Rodney's expression fell. "Damn, I thought – I mean – well, I was hoping – you see, I actually got through to Atlantis once, but the connection ended in mid-sentence. I have a feeling whatever's going on there is a little more than a blown transistor."

Sheppard scowled. "That's not good."

"You said it. And I actually thought things might be going our way for once. Silly me." Rodney dropped a cable he was trying to connect and cursed. "You know, it's almost impossible to work very fast with a broken arm."

"Stop whining and keep working," Sheppard said as he leaned closer. He continued quickly, not allowing Rodney to react as he softened his tone, "Anything I can do to help?"

"I – do – not – whine," Rodney said defiantly, lifting his gaze from his work. He rolled his eyes, going back to work as the time clock in his brain continued to count down. "And, no, you can't help. Mostly because you look a hell of a lot worse than you did when we left the cavern. What happened?" 

When there was a pause, Rodney looked out from under the console. Sheppard had pressed his hand over his stomach, obviously trying to ride out some terrific stomach cramps, and had turned even paler in the process. A flash of desperation crossed Sheppard's expression and his voice was tight as he whispered, "Let's just say, I'd rather be home in bed than here doing this." 

Then Rodney remembered the poison. _Damn, damn, damn. Open mouth, insert foot._

Maybe Sheppard sensed Rodney's thoughts, because he straightened, only to bend forward again, his hand clutched against his stomach. He took big gulps of air through his opened mouth, going ash white as he leaned his head against the wall beside him for support. Rodney was about to get up to help him when Sheppard slammed a fist against the wall, rattling the unit and startling Rodney. He pushed away in anger, turning his back to Rodney.

"You okay?" Rodney asked as he glanced up from the wiring he was working on, unsure which situation was the most urgent.

Sheppard nodded and slowly pushed away from the wall. "Yeah, yeah, just keep working."

_No, of course, you're not okay. That much is obvious, but, please, don't die on me yet_ , he thought as he stared at Sheppard in concern. Sighing, he went back to work. He had to. Lives depended on him. Why the hell did he always have lives depending on him? Did he look like he was some caped crusader? 

Sheppard changed the subject as he paced the bridge slowly. "So, that was you shooting at the Sinomeans?"

Rodney nodded and paused, twisting his hand to get a better angle at what he was doing. After a moment, he said, "There's something wrong with the targeting system on that ship. I only got in one good hit before I remembered the self destruct."

"I knew it had to be you – " Sheppard stopped suddenly and cursed. 

Rodney was so involved in his work, he didn't look up as he asked, "What is it now?"

There was a pause, the pregnant type of pause that always made the hair on the back of Rodney's neck stand up. By the time Rodney glanced his way, Sheppard was looking out the main window before exclaiming, "Son of a bitch! There goes Conteale!"

Rodney jumped, hitting the top of his head on the console above him. It was enough to make stars appear in front of his eyes. Blinking them away, he asked, "What did you say?"

"Conteale's alive," Sheppard said, spitting out the words like he was cursing the devil himself. He moved away from the forward window. "And it looks like she's trying to get away."

Rodney rubbed the new sore spot on his head, wondering if there was any place left on his head that wasn't bruised, cut or swollen, but the ache seemed unimportant as he sputtered, "Impossible! She's dead!"

Sheppard checked the ammo on his P90. "Well, she looks pretty damned good for a dead person! I'm going after her!"

"Sheppard, wait! I'm almost done! Come on, you can't go after her alone! Hell, you couldn't bring down a gnat right now." 

Rodney fought the urge to get up and follow Sheppard, but he was too damned close to finishing to stop now. John's voice was hoarse with emotion as he rushed out of the room. "Just fix the damned thing and hurry! The clock's still ticking. If you lose, we all lose. I'll deal with her."   
  
"No pressure," Rodney muttered as he worked as fast as he could. "For either one of us, damn it."

**oOoOoOoOo**

John stopped to get his bearings once he was out of the ship. The crystal packing area was cluttered with empty and half full crates, along with equipment and other paraphernalia. Conteale could be hiding behind any of it, or she could have made a run for the hills. 

He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth, and then saw the smaller spacecraft a short distance away. "Gotcha," he whispered softly, knowing right where S'moa would go. 

He moved as fast as he could and caught up to her just as she opened the ship's hatch. She was barely recognizable as covered with mud and sludge as she was. He aimed his weapon at her just as she was about to step inside. "Captain Conteale, funny meeting you out here like this," he said in his slow drawl. "Though I have to say I've seen you looking better."

She froze in place, and then turned slowly, hatred tightening every muscle in her face, but it was a cold hatred, not the kind of fiery loathing most people harbored. When she took a step closer to him, the air temperature seemed to drop several degrees. 

"Colonel Sheppard, you're looking very well for someone who should be dead by now." Her lisp once again reminded him of how a rattlesnake would sound if it could talk. 

"Oh, please, you're being too kind, Captain. Now, stop right there and put your hands up where I can see them," he said as he motioned with his weapon.

She slipped something into a pocket of her uniform and raised her hands, but she kept moving, taking slow gradual steps toward him. He fired a single round into the ground beside her feet, getting her immediate attention. "I told you to stop."

She smiled, but it was so icy, it would have made him shiver, even without his fever. "So you did."

He stepped forward, wondering how many people she had ordered to their deaths over the course of her career. Looking into her eyes, he thought the number was probably far greater than he could possibly imagine. 

"Do you remember what I told you in your office? What goes around comes around. Now, our roles are reversed. How does it feel to be the prisoner?" he whispered. 

He was a few feet away from her when the battle between the Sinomeans and the Atlanteans intruded upon their conversation. A grenade hit the ground near them, spraying dirt and rock into the air. The distraction gave Conteale time to flick her wrist, causing a knife to pop into her hand. She leapt at him, springing like a coiled cobra. He ducked, causing her first swing to miss, but the movement threw off his balance. He went down in the mud and Conteale followed him, taking full advantage of the situation. 

She raised the knife to stab downward at his chest again, but he managed to get a grip on her hand, though he was barely able to hold it back. It wasn't really much of a contest given his current condition and he watched with dismay as the knife inched closer to his heart. 

Conteale's satisfied smile grew when she saw she was about to win, but it vanished the moment gunshots filled the air and bullets slammed into the ground around them. John glanced up to see McKay with a gun in his hand, but didn't have time to do much more than that as he took advantage of the disturbance and rolled over on top of Conteale. He was relieved to see she had lost her knife in the rolling motion and he went for his handgun, but Conteale anticipated his move. She struck his injured arm with her fist, using as much force as she could.

John screamed and nearly blacked out from the blow. He slumped to one side, the upper left half of his body refusing to move. She pushed out from under his legs, and moved to kick him away, but not before he tried to grab at her with his good hand. He caught hold of one of the pockets of her uniform and pulled. The pocket ripped open, but Conteale didn't seem to notice, because she was too busy kicking at him hard with her boot. 

His fist tightened around the item he now possessed as he tried to slow his breathing and clear his vision, all while trying not to retch again. Conteale made a run for the small ship, and John moved the item to his other hand. Drawing his handgun, he fired in her direction, but his shot went wild. McKay was still shooting at her, too, but his aim was so bad, she just ignored him. Unfortunately, John had to duck, because he was worried about getting hit by McKay's unfriendly fire. 

When John got to his knees, he raised his 9-mil and squinted with one eye through the sweat and mud dripping from his forehead and aimed at her head. He fired several times, but finally hit her arm instead. At least it was a hit and John was willing to take anything he could get right then. The shot slammed her against the side of the ship. After a moment, she managed to slip inside the open hatch and close it behind her.

John sensed his adrenaline was bottoming out and he was precariously close to collapse. He probably would have if McKay hadn't appeared at his side, sliding in the mud to a stop beside him. "Crap! She bypassed my override! It's that damned interface device!"

"Stop whining and stop her!" John said with overwhelming frustration.

But McKay didn't seem to notice as he replied, "Again with the whining? Geez! Just how the hell am I supposed stop her?"

"You keep saying you're the smart one, so you tell me!"

"Ah, crap, give it a rest already! I'm getting a very real sense of deja vu here, you know?" McKay muttered as he did a double take, finally looking at John more closely. His voice cracked with worry as he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Just stop her!" John said through clenched teeth as he bent at the middle, his hands wrapped around his arm and stomach.

McKay's eyes bulged. "I tried. Remember me shooting at Conteale to save your life? I'm out of ammo." He sighed. "Besides, it's too late. She's inside the ship now." 

It took all John had to stay conscious. McKay was going to have to pull off something incredible or Conteale was going to get away. Then he remembered what he still had clutched in his fingers.

Looking up at McKay, he said, "Rodney, you can stop her."

McKay grunted, still looking at the ship. "Yeah, right, with what? Laser beams shooting out of my ass?" 

"No, idiot, with this. Stop her," he said as he placed the interface device in McKay's hand with trembling fingers. McKay's eyes widened as if he'd just been given the Holy Grail. His mouth dropped open as he gaped in awe.

"How the hell did you get that away from her?" Rodney's fingers were already dancing over the device with glee.

John gritted his teeth together and growled, "Can you stop her or not?"

McKay gave John a withering look, but John ignored him, grabbing McKay's arm and shouted, "Do it!"

Rodney glanced at the nearby ship and then panicked. "Oh God, look at those gun turrets. She just locked her targeting systems on us."

McKay threw his body in a protective shield over John, knocking him to the ground, causing John to groan and curse loudly. There was no time for anything else, because the ship's guns fired right then. Luckily, the shots went way over their heads and into the gully behind them. 

Rodney pulled away and pointed at the ship. "Damn, I knew that targeting system was off! I knew it!"

"McKay!" John shouted hoarsely. He pointed a shaky finger toward the ship and said, "GO!"

"Oh, right." Rodney glanced down at the device in his hand and got to his feet. 

"Wish me luck," he muttered as he headed for the ship as fast as he could. 

The battle was still going on around them, bullets and grenades still flying, but McKay managed to move between it all without injury as he ran for the ship. Hr stopped behind a boulder just long enough to catch his breath, and then he started again.

John closed his eyes as he focused on slowing his breathing. It seemed like every inch of his body that wasn't shaking ached in some way, but he managed to rise up on one elbow. There had to be a way to stall Conteale – something that could help give McKay enough time to do what he had to do. 

Then the ship's engines roared to life and John knew Conteale was moments from taking off. His gaze darted around the area near him and his mouth dropped open. There was a discarded grenade launcher lying a few feet away next to the bodies of two dead Sinomeans. They must have been the recipients of Rodney's earlier weapons fire from the ship. Now, there was a chance he could keep Conteale from escaping. John crawled the few feet separating them over to the weapon and positioned the grenade launcher, feeling like he was trying to complete a marathon run, the marathon from hell. 

"You're not getting away that easy, Conteale," John rasped, then a wave of nausea and weakness caused him to bend over. 

When the cramping stopped, he shook his head and straightened. He activated the power on the launcher. He was rewarded with a string of lights. Apparently, the weapon had been made of much tougher stuff than its now dead operators. He pulled the trigger and the grenade exploded against the front of the ship, but the ship's shields held. John cursed and fired again. 

Then his stomach cramped and he moaned as he dropped to one side despite his efforts to stay upright. With rapidly blurring vision, he saw McKay at the ship's hatch. Rodney inserted the interface device, his expression a bizarre mixture of smugness and blatant fear.

Then McKay's appearance became dark and shadowy, and John realized it wasn't just McKay, but his vision that was off. Damn, time was running out way too fast. 

_You better have things under control, McKay, because I've got to check out of the party for a minute_ , he thought right before he keeled over.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Rodney wasn't quite sure how he'd survived his trek to the smaller ship without dying, but he did. Conteale then started the ship's engines and he wasn't sure if he would have enough time to activate the control interface device. That was when someone started firing grenades at the front of the ship. 

Nothing like a nonstop adrenaline rush to make the brain and fingers work that much faster. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had Conteale's small ship locked down before she could take off. The ship's engines were still running, but there was nothing inside the ship that would follow her commands any more. She was his captive now.

Rodney smiled with a rush of devilish self-satisfaction, something he'd rarely known to this extent and that he always reveled in. Hell, he deserved to revel a little after what he'd been through. But he hadn't just survived it, he'd overcome impossible odds to win. Damn, he was good!

It was a heady feeling until he realized he wasn't done saving the universe yet. There was at least one more person who needed help. He glanced back in John's direction. They still had to get him back to Atlantis. After that, he'd be due for some major gloating. He removed the interface device and was about to turn to go back to John when he heard a blaster being fired rapidly inside the ship. 

"Ah, crap," Rodney muttered. 

Conteale couldn't blast through the door, because it was heavily fortified for space flight, but she could blast through the control circuitry and manually open the damned thing. Her next step would be to kill Rodney and take back her interface device to use in her escape. Damn it! 

Rodney's route back to Sheppard was now blocked, because the ongoing battle between the Atlanteans and the Sinomeans which had encroached further upon them. The best Rodney could manage was a roundabout course that would allow him to backtrack to Sheppard. He made a run through the battle area, ducking for cover at every opportunity and eventually stopped when he was about halfway to Sheppard. The ship loomed in the background, and the hatch was still closed, so Conteale hadn't emerged yet. 

Rodney jumped when a shrill screech pierced the air, sounding several times louder than the gunfire and exploding grenades in the area. It echoed and multiplied as new shrieks followed, coming from the direction of the mine entrance. The screams of men dying turned Rodney's stomach upside down. By the time he spun around to look, there were bodies scattered everywhere. The Sinomean raiders who'd survived the initial attack took up new positions, now firing into the empty air, trying to kill the invisible killer without success. 

As Rodney's gaze swept over the area, he saw a strange shimmering effect ripple across the nearby hillside. The shrieking began again. Rodney's heart chilled with the sound. Their dreaded child killer from the stargate had returned.

A hand on Rodney's shoulder nearly sent him into orbit and a variety of images flashed through his mind as he leapt in fright. It could have been Sheppard, or Conteale, or the Madj – no, the Madj didn't have hands, just claws, god-awful killing claws – 

The hand on his shoulder squeezed, nearly causing Rodney to jump out of his skin. When he followed the hand to its owner, he saw Ronon beside him. Ronon was breathing hard, his weapon drawn and aimed in the general direction of the screeching. 

He fired several times, never once bothering to apologize for almost giving Rodney a heart attack. Instead, he asked, "Where's Sheppard? He's not answering his radio."

"Son of a bitch! You scared me!" Rodney rasped with a hand to his chest, still gasping for air. "His radio? Conteale confiscated our radios when we were captured. God, you scared me!"

Ronon shook his head. "No, we got some more from Stackhouse's jumper. Where's Sheppard?" he repeated.

Rodney was still recovering from Ronon's sudden appearance when he turned in Sheppard's direction, but Sheppard was no longer there. A quick scan of the area revealed Conteale was hiding behind a half filled cart. She leaned forward enough to let them see she had Sheppard. Her arm was around his chest as his head slumped forward and her blaster was aimed at his temple. 

"Ah, damn it," Rodney muttered.

"Give me that interface device or he's dead!" she shouted over the sounds of the battle and the screeching.

Ronon looked at Rodney. "Do you have it?"

Rodney nodded bleakly. "Yeah, but we both know if I give that to her, Sheppard is as good as dead."

Ronon scowled and went to aim, but then backed off without firing a shot. He cursed under his breath and Rodney noticed three things: the lines of pain etched into the Satedan's face, his pallor, and the blood from his shoulder that stained his makeshift dressing and his shirt. 

Rodney had no idea what had been behind Sheppard and Ronon's miraculous transformation from injured to healthy earlier, but whatever it was, it had gone south in a big way and with the worst of timing. Now, both men looked bad, their appearances more ghastly than after the explosion at the stargate, but there was no time to consider it any longer, because that damned killing creature had resumed screeching. Rodney had no doubt people would start dying again. His heart skipped a beat when he realized the thing was moving closer.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	24. Chapter 24

"Don't move, Colonel." 

Conteale's words echoed in John's ear, sounding much more deadly than the Madj ever could. John had come awake with the Madj's shrieks, and then he realized there was a gun pointed at his head and an arm around his chest, making him squirm as the awkward position put pressure on his ribs and arm. 

On second thought, maybe awake was too strong a word. His vision was blurry at best, and with Conteale's grip pressing against his injured ribs, it was nearly impossible to breathe, so his hold on consciousness was tenuous at best. Despite all that, he rasped, "If that Madj catches up to us... neither one of us will survive. You better do... some pretty fast thinking... "

Conteale clucked her tongue, her arrogance a formidable thing as she said, "I will stay out of its way, but you may not be as lucky. In fact, you look like you're about ready to die. Try not to do that until I have what I want."

John couldn't see her face because of the way she held the gun to his head, but he glared in her direction anyway. His anger started to fade when he realized he couldn't ignore the substance of what she was saying. He felt awful. The truth of the matter was he was dying. If the Atlanteans didn't arrive soon, it was a done deal. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

The creature's ear-piercing shrieks made Rodney forget about Conteale for the moment. The beast was closer now, and therefore infinitely more frightening, which was quite a statement, considering Rodney was already petrified. His gaze swept over the area, searching for signs of the invisible killer nearby.

"Good to see you're still alive, McKay," Ronon said softly, and he took a couple of shots. "Damned Madj."

"I'm kind of glad to still be kicking myself. What's a Madj?" Rodney whispered as he cowered behind Ronon, hoping his voice didn't sound nearly as panicked as he felt inside.

"Something that should have stayed asleep," Ronon answered, and then he straightened. "And it sounds like it's moving closer to Conteale and Sheppard."

"Ah, crap," Rodney muttered. 

He swiped away the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand and muttered, "Why can't we ever have an easy escape from anything? I mean, is that too much to ask for? I'm talking about a little cosmic karma to come our way. We're way, way overdue. Geez, we must have seriously pissed off someone important in another life to have this much bad luck." He swallowed hard and looked up at Ronon. "I honestly don't think I can keep this up for much longer." 

His earnest comments earned him a long sideways glare from Ronon. "Settle down," Ronon said finally, his deep voice full of warning. "We've got to move closer to Sheppard and Conteale. Come on."

Ronon took off. 

"Wait," Rodney whispered under his breath, and then cursed as he hustled to catch up with him. By the time, Rodney was behind him again, Ronon was already scanning the area for a better position. The Madj's shrieks began again, and Ronon spun in that direction.

"Damn," Ronon muttered and Rodney knew it was because they were stuck where they were for the moment, unable to get any closer to Conteale and Sheppard.

The Satedan pressed his hand to his shoulder, wincing as he took a deep breath. Ronon always had a cloak of self assurance about him, even in the face of physical danger and injury. It was a trait that Rodney deeply envied, especially when he felt so close to a meltdown. 

"Nobody's going to die if I have anything to say about it," Ronon said quietly. "Nobody except Conteale."

Rodney believed Ronon, much in the same way he believed Sheppard when he got that same glint in his eye. In an attempt to calm himself, Rodney blinked a couple of times. _Breathe and think. Think and breathe. Knowledge is power._

"Okay, tell me what you know about this thing since you apparently know more than I do."

Ronon pursed his lips together. "Not a lot to tell. Just bits and pieces of information from the villagers, probably more folklore than fact. It lives off the Benji crystals or this Glentick mineral that exists in the vicinity of the crystals, and it probably gets its power from one or the other."

"Hmm, okay, file that under possibly useful information. What else?"

Ronon took a deep breath. Finally, he said, "It can live outside the mine for short periods of time." 

"Short periods of time, huh? I wonder how short is short... All right, does it have any other weaknesses?"

"Damn it, McKay, there's not a lot more I know," Ronon growled, and then he stopped as he reined in his frustration. His voice was much lower when he said, "We spent most of the time just trying to stay out of its way."

Then he paused again, his gaze darting up to Rodney's. "It doesn't like water."

Rodney looked in the direction of the shrieks. "That might be a little more helpful. Of course, the ideal situation would be if you knew of a way to kill it – " He could hear his voice rise in pitch that corresponded with his escalating fear. "I'd rather not be sliced and diced if I can avoid it."

Ronon glanced back toward the Madj, then said, "We'll get through this, McKay. Just shut up for a second and listen."

Rodney frowned at him. He realized the creature didn't sound as close as it had a few moments earlier. Turning toward Ronon, he said, "It's moving away?"

"Maybe." 

The Satedan tensed for a moment and then pointed. "There, in the mud, can you see the tracks it left?"

Rodney squinted, seeing something, but nothing definitive. "Maybe, but I tend to be a bit myopic," he said, his voice drifting off as he tried to get a better view of what Ronon was seeing, but failed.

Ronon shook his head. "Never mind. Trust me, it's leaving tracks. Right now, it seems to be hovering near the crystal packaging area, especially the raw ore and the Glentick mineral. Casea said the legends indicated they are the Madj's food source somehow. Maybe it's eating or something." 

Rodney grunted. "I'm glad somebody's getting a chance to eat. It's been so long since I've had a real meal, I think my stomach won't know how to deal with food ever again."

Ronon reached into a pocket and pulled out a couple power bars. "Got 'em from Stackhouse."

Rodney scooped them up so fast, Ronon could barely get his fingers out of the way in time. Rodney tore open the wrappers and stuffed the first one into his mouth almost whole, chomping like it was nirvana itself, and then there were the sighs of contentment.

"I said give me the interface device or he's dead!" Conteale repeated.

Ronon glanced back toward Conteale and Sheppard, and then at the Madj's tracks as if satisfied it wasn't getting any closer, and took a deep breath. "Hold on!" he shouted. "I'm getting it!"

He turned back to Rodney. "Conteale's been hit," he said quietly.

Rodney nodded as he tried to swallow the mouthful of food in a single gulp. That obviously didn't work out well when he had to pat himself on the chest to help it settle. After a moment, he was able to say, "Yeah, Sheppard winged her in the arm before she tried to take off in her ship."

Ronon's gaze grew distant for a moment. "We might be able to get Sheppard away from Conteale if the Madj stays put, but to do that, we need Conteale to think she's getting the interface device. Give it to me." 

"What? What are you thinking?" Rodney said as his fingers tightened protectively around the device in his hand and he pulled it out of Ronon's line of sight. "I've got her escape ship locked down. If she gets hold of this, she can get away – "

Before he could say more, Conteale shouted to them again, this time sounding a little more desperate. "I said give me that damned device or I swear I'll kill Sheppard! Just in case you think I'm bluffing – "

Rodney sucked in a sudden gasp of air. His head popped up and he put out a hand as he shouted, "No, don't!"

It was too late. The echo of the gunshot followed by Sheppard's cry of pain reverberated in Rodney's heart. A sick feeling took hold of him as his hand dropped away. Ronon almost bolted towards her, but stopped when Rodney grabbed his arm. "Wait, Ronon, listen! She's waiting for you to come running with guns blazing."

Ronon's eyes flashed with anger, but Rodney kept talking. "Sure, make yourself an easy target! Then where will Sheppard and I be when you're dead? Alone with a rampaging Madj and a psychotic bitch, that's where!"

Ronon glared at him for another moment, and then pulled away, closing his eyes as he clutched his shoulder. He opened them and stared at Rodney. "That was Sheppard's 9-mil she shot him with, not her blaster."

Both of them went still and Conteale shouted, "See? I am true to my word, but I did not kill him. Not yet, at least."

Rodney knew the way Conteale's mind worked. After all, he'd seen the viper in action. His eyes were wide with certainty as he said, "After spending the day with that female Attila the Hun, trust me when I say she will kill him." 

Rodney looked at the control interface in his hand, and glanced up at Ronon, knowing his expression revealed all his fear, but also held solid conviction, too. His voice went softer as he said, "But that's what she'll do, even if we give her the interface device."

Ronon slammed a fist against the boulder he was hiding behind, still trying to rein in his rage. After watching him, Rodney was certain he didn't want to be Conteale when Ronon finally caught up with her. Ronon's voice was barely controlled as he replied, "And that's why we aren't going to give it to her."

Rodney blinked in confusion. "But you just said – "

"I'll throw the device towards her, but it will land far enough away that she'll have to go after it. While she's trying to get to it, I'll take her out."

"What about Sheppard?"

Ronon's self assurance slipped a bit. "He'll have to watch out for himself until we can help him."

"Ronon, Sheppard looked pretty out of it and that was before Conteale shot him." 

Rodney's gaze went back in Sheppard's direction. He paused, and then he looked up at Ronon. "But if anyone can get in an impossible shot, it's you."

Ronon gave him a brief smile. He put out a hand and said, "I can do this. Now, give me the device."

Rodney actually hesitated for another moment. The interface device had so many possible applications. He wanted to study it in depth, and see what benefits Atlantis could get from its use, explore – 

"He'll be dead in the next thirty seconds if you don't give me the device!" she shouted. 

She paused, looking over at the cart. "Send it with Mac-Kay. If you try anything, both of them will die."

"We'd be dead for sure, if she has her way about it. S'moa Conteale doesn't know how to play by the rules," Rodney whispered, but he handed Ronon the device. 

Ronon hefted it in his hand for a moment. His gaze narrowed as he evaluated the distance between them. He was about to throw it when Rodney stopped him. 

"Wait," he said and started patting the pockets on his tac vest. He pulled out a small plastic bag and enclosed the device in it before handing it back to Ronon. "To keep it clean," he said with a quick smile. After a moment, he gestured with his hands. "Well, go ahead, what are you waiting for? Throw it already!"

Ronon sighed. He checked the ammo on his weapon and he lobbed the device tauntingly close to Conteale, but far enough away that she'd have to come out of hiding to get it. "Leave Sheppard where he is, Conteale, take the device and go. It's the best offer you're going to get!" 

"You must think me a fool to offer such madness! Send Mac-Kay out to bring me the device or I will kill Sheppard!"

The Madj's screeching started again, but it was much closer this time. Somehow, it had slipped up on them while they'd been distracted with Conteale. Rodney gasped and nearly collided with Ronon when the thing sounded like it was right behind them. Conteale took advantage of the moment. She dove and rolled, picking up the device, and was on the run toward the small ship. Ronon pushed away from Rodney and stood quickly, aiming his blaster at her as he fired several times in rapid succession, but he faltered and it threw his aim off. 

Rodney saw Conteale run, but he also caught something else from the corner of one eye. He started to warn Ronon, but suddenly words escaped him. There was that strange shimmering effect again and Rodney could make out the outline of something huge, something with unholy claws and rough angles like a giant moving crystal coming in their direction. 

"R-Ronon?" he stammered finally. "Help."

Shifting slightly, Ronon caught sight of it, too, and he turned his weapon to fire at it instead of Conteale, but the shots had no effect, and the thing continued toward them. Ronon pushed Rodney down onto the ground and covered him with his body as the creature approached, but then passed by. Rodney tried to see what was happening, but his view was blocked, because of Ronon's gangly limbs that were draped over him. 

It was the distinct odor of ozone that made Rodney's nostrils flare just as Ronon started to get up, but he stumbled and Rodney had to help him to his feet. By the time they were upright, Rodney could see that instead of attacking them, the thing had gone straight for Conteale. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

John pressed a shaky hand against the bullet wound in his thigh where Conteale had shot him. With his own weapon. _What a goddamned embarrassing way to go,_ he thought as he shuddered with pain.

His whole body trembled and he was sure he was going to be sick again. Then again, maybe not. He didn't know if he had the energy to puke again. He looked at Conteale as she raced toward her ship. _She can't get away. Not after all she's done_ , he thought, and he tried to move towards her, but he couldn't. 

His body just refused to follow any of the commands his brain was issuing. Hell, it was barely allowing him to breathe. He froze when he heard the Madj's shrieks again. The damned thing was close, too close. When he craned his head for a better look, he saw Conteale firing at the creature without effect. Giving up, she ran haphazardly as she tried to escape it. 

John bit his lip as he saw her panic grow. Conteale scrambled toward the opened doorway of her ship, but didn't make it, screaming as the beast's claws swiped across her chest, then began to tear her apart. Some of the Madj's wild swings hit the ship, too, and its claws sliced through the hull as easily as it had gone through flesh. 

"I told you what goes around comes around," John whispered. He let his head drop down into the mud. Conteale wasn't going anywhere now. With that, he gave up his fight to stay conscious, though a part of him feared if he closed his eyes, they might not ever open again.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Now, that's what I call a perfect death for someone who deserved it as much as she did!" Rodney said, shaking a fist at her remains. Ronon nodded in agreement before taking a deep breath in relief. 

"Ah, crap," Rodney said. He pointed a finger in the direction of a fire that was starting to blaze up from the small space ship. "It must have slashed its way into the ship's power system. That ship's going to blow if that thing keeps it up!"

Ronon grunted. "Good, maybe it will kill the Madj at the same time!"

Rodney shook his head. "You don't understand. Sheppard's too close to the ship. If it blows, the blast will likely kill Sheppard, too."

Ronon scowled, looking back at the destruction the Madj had caused. He straightened. "Come on, let's go," he said as he lumbered to his feet without his usual grace and agility.

Ronon stiffened. His gaze shifted upward, scanning the sky above them as he put a hand to his headset. He knelt down again and caught Rodney's questioning glance. He said, "It's Lorne."

Looking away, he said, "Lorne, it's Ronon – "

The Madj's screeches became so loud Ronon had to say, "Hold on a second."

With Ronon's comment, Rodney's demeanor shifted from panicked to relieved. 

"Lorne?" he asked Ronon, moving closer. "Major Lorne is here?"

Ronon nodded. Rodney reached up and took Ronon's headset from his ear. He tapped the radio's control and said, "Lorne, thank God! It's McKay. About time you showed up! The thing that attacked at the gate is here again! We need help ASAP!"

Rodney heard the confusion in Lorne's voice as he asked, "The Madj is attacking?"

Rodney nodded, whirling one hand to speed up the conversation. "Yeah, well, forgive me, if I have an occasional problem with names! The Madj just killed a bunch of the Sinomean raiders, including their captain and it's too damned close to us!"

Ronon growled and reached over to retrieve his stolen headset. Rodney cowered in horror, realizing what he'd just done, and he put up his hands in self-defense, muttering, "I can only die once, either by the Madj or you. Quite frankly, I'd rather you do it."

Ronon clenched his hands into fists and Rodney closed his eyes, preparing to die. When Ronon just stared at him, Rodney peeked opened his eyes and sighed in relief. Ronon looked back toward the stargate as he put on the headset. Rodney pulled his radio from his tac vest and switched it on just in time to hear Lorne ask, "Where's the colonel?"

Ronon glanced in Sheppard's direction again. "He's unconscious at the moment. That Madj is between us and Sheppard, but it seems to be staying away. Sheppard's in a bad spot if the raiders' ships goes up, though."

Lorne went silent for a moment, then said, "I have your transponders on the HUD, so I've got your location. As soon as things are secured with the gate, Beckett will be arriving in another puddle jumper, so just hang in there. And watch your step around that damn Madj." 

There were some blasts echoing over their radio transmissions at the same time Rodney heard them in the distance. Lorne sighed. "I'm afraid you're on your own at the moment. I've got a little trouble with some of the Sinomeans attacking our men coming through the gate. We should be able to take them out, but it will take a minute or two. Are you okay that long?"

Ronon frowned, but said, "We'll have to be. Just get here when you can."

Rodney's eyes bulged. "Speak for yourself, Ronon! We've got that thing about to pounce on us! We need help! Now!" But he didn't say that over the radio. Instead, he sighed and depressed the button on his radio, screaming, "For God's sake, hurry!"

Then Elizabeth's voice came over the line. "Rodney, this is Weir. We just got our radio communications up and were able to monitor your transmissions. Listen, Dr. Zelenka needs to talk to you."

The Madj screeched again. Against the flames of the damaged ship, Rodney could make out the Madj's huge, hunkering shape. It was on the move again. 

**oOoOoOoOo**


	25. Chapter 25

"Sorry to interrupt, Rodney. It's Radek. You have to listen to me. You don't have much time." 

Ronon frowned when he heard Radek's voice over the radio, mostly because he sounded so weak, frail even, and definitely in pain. He looked over to McKay as both of them knelt in the mud behind a boulder.

"No, Sheppard doesn't have much time," McKay corrected him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Radek continued without answering his questions, "Just listen. We've spent the last twenty-four hours trying to trap the Madj that made it through the stargate to Atlantis, perhaps the mate of the one you are dealing with now. It's almost pure energy, sharing many of the properties of the Benji crystals. The only way to kill it is to short it out in some way, but it's volatile, Rodney, and very unstable. I know from personal experience that it's got quite a blast radius, so don't have anyone close to it when it goes."

_Great, just frigging great. This nightmare just keeps getting better and better._

McKay sighed. "Sheppard's already too close to it. If that Madj decides to head toward him, he's a dead man." 

Ronon pointed and said, "No, the tracks show the Madj has changed direction again. It's going back to the crystal processing area."

McKay rolled his eyes, irritated at the interruption. "Yeah, but it's also gone quiet again, so it'll be hard to tell what's happening until it starts that god awful shrieking again."

"Not if you watch the – " Ronon started.

McKay waved a hand as if to speed things up as he interrupted, "Yeah, yeah, I know, not if you watch the tracks. Not all of us have super vision, Kal-el of Krypton. Now, be quiet and let me talk to Zelenka."

If Ronon killed McKay right then, it would be justified, he decided, but Sheppard would probably get upset over it. Ronon took a deep breath as his shoulder ached with increasing severity. He'd had done a pretty good job of ignoring the discomfort so far, but eventually the wound and the blood loss would catch up with him. 

Ronon listened to Zelenka and McKay talk as he estimated the distance between Sheppard and the Madj. He wanted to move Sheppard away from the dangers of the Madj and the smaller ship's impending explosion, but there was no safe way to do it, and the movement might attract the beast's attention. Besides, he'd seen what happen to Conteale when she ran. There wasn't any point in sacrificing himself, if the end result was that Sheppard was still in harm's way. 

He looked up at McKay as a thought crossed his mind and he asked, "Will water short it out?" 

He picked up a long metal rock bar lying on the ground beside them. It was something similar to a crowbar, only twice as thick and over five feet in length. It apparently had been part of the crystal harvesting process, since he saw more than one lying about the work area. He hefted it in one hand, its weight heavy, but balanced. 

"What?" McKay asked, turning toward him. 

Ronon's question obviously surprised him, and he did a double take. Rodney gestured in the direction of the Madj and asked, "Do you mean will using water short _that_ thing out?" 

Before Rodney could answer him, Zelenka spoke up. "Yes, water is one of many alternatives to short out a creature comprised mostly of this type of energy.

"So, water would work?" Ronon repeated. 

McKay's eyes widened and he smiled as he started snapping his fingers together. Then the Madj's screeching became maddeningly loud, ending any attempt to talk. Wincing from the noise, McKay put his hand over his ears and turned more fully toward Ronon. He said something to Ronon, but Ronon tuned out the commotion, McKay, and everything else as he stared at the Madj's new track marks. The Madj was definitely taking a course that would lead it back toward Sheppard again.

Ronon adjusted his hold on the bar, hefting its weight with one hand, and got up from their position behind the boulder, and moved a couple of steps forward. He threw the rock bar to his best guessed position of the Madj with a heavy grunt, making him press his good hand against his shoulder again when he was done. 

McKay shouted a warning, but it was too late. The bar glided through the air and quickly hit its target, skewering the Madj with its length. The Madj wailed with a kind of pained scream, and then the forward end of the rock bar pierced the sludge pond, connecting the Madj to the water through the metal bar. It acted as a conduit, discharging the Madj's strange electrical energy into the watery sludge and the atmosphere around it. 

Then the world around them flashed a bizarre blend of white and red in a swirling massive explosion that knocked Ronon off his feet and the air from his chest. The force of the concussion flared his injuries, but he didn't care. He was scrambling to his feet before he was conscious of what he was doing, his only thought to reach Sheppard and protect him from the falling debris. 

That was where things started to get a little iffy. One moment, he was crouched over Sheppard as clods of stone, mud and dirt rained down on them, the next he was lying on top of the injured colonel. Ronon felt Sheppard move underneath him and heard him moan softly. He slid away to give Sheppard some room, very relieved that Sheppard was still alive. 

As Ronon got to his knees to check on him, he sensed movement behind him. Its proximity to him was unexpected and he prepared to strike out, acting on instinct alone, but managed to stop in mid-swing when he saw it was McKay.

McKay apparently realized how close he'd come to being decked by Ronon and gasped. "Whoa, whoa. Easy, big guy."

Lorne's voice over the radio interrupted them. "What was that explosion?"

"The Madj," McKay said breathlessly. "Listen, we're a little busy. Call back later. Better yet, get your ass over here right now!"

He looked at Ronon. "We've got to move Sheppard away from that ship before it explodes. Do you think you're up to giving me a hand?"

Ronon nodded without thinking. It didn't matter that he was seeing double, McKay was right. They all had to get to safety. He started to stand as he pulled one of Sheppard's arms over his shoulder, sliding his injured shoulder in under John's arm to better support him, then he gritted his teeth together from the pain it caused. 

McKay did the same thing to John's other arm, but Sheppard gasped and groaned when Rodney pulled the colonel's wounded arm over his shoulder. There was no way to avoid moving Sheppard without causing him some type of pain. Still, Ronon knew it had to hurt like hell. McKay cringed and looked a little sick at Sheppard's painful moans, but didn't let go. Together, they began to drag Sheppard's limp body along. Ronon didn't even focus on where they were going. He left that up to McKay, giving his full attention to putting one foot in front of the other.

Some time later, a part of him sensed that McKay had slowed down and come to a stop. Distantly, Rodney's words filtered through, "Okay, this should be far enough away."

"Ronon?" he heard McKay say now, but he was much closer this time. "You can let go of Sheppard. We're out of the danger zone now."

Ronon looked at McKay and realized he was down on both knees with Sheppard still hanging over his shoulder. He glanced at Sheppard and carefully let go of him, allowing McKay to take over and gently guide John's shoulders and head to the ground. As soon as Ronon released him, Ronon had to bend forward, now dealing with his own misery. He put a hand over his shoulder wound and tried to steady his breathing. 

McKay moved to Ronon's side and patted him on the arm. "Hang in there, Ronon. Help is on the way. Just sit back and let me take a look at Sheppard." 

Before McKay could move, Ronon lurched to one side, but McKay caught him. Ronon thought his appearance had to be pretty bad, because McKay grimaced when he took a good look at him, then he cleared his throat as he helped Ronon sit on the ground, keeping a tight hold on him. "It's going to be okay. Just keep breathing." 

Once McKay saw that Ronon wasn't going to topple over again, he scrambled to Sheppard's side, but he paused to point a finger at Ronon before he checked Sheppard. "But next time, Conan, warn a person before you try an impulsively brilliant idea."

Looking hard at McKay, Ronon stared for a moment, then smirked at Rodney's rare compliment and rasped, "Deal."

A loud explosion interrupted their conversation and Ronon felt the concussion and heat sweep over them. The blast caught Ronon by surprise, though it shouldn't have. It was Conteale's getaway ship. The fire burning there had finally caused it to explode, just as McKay had predicted.

McKay bent over Sheppard to protect him and Ronon noticed for the first time how haggard Rodney looked. Ronon started to say something when McKay cursed under his breath, obviously distraught as he stared down at Sheppard. 

Ronon glanced over, and then he saw why.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Sheppard was barely conscious, murmuring Conteale's name as if he was arguing with her in some dream state. His skin that wasn't covered with mud was pasty white, except for his cheeks which were fiery red. Rodney put the back of his hand to Sheppard's forehead and pulled it back with worry. The man was burning up with fever. _Crap! How the hell was he able to stay on his feet as long as he had?_

Rodney put a field dressing on Sheppard's leg and applied pressure. He hoped he was addressing the right injury first. Damn, it was hard to know what to do, because Sheppard was a walking wound. He slapped at the radio inside his tac vest pocket and said, "Damn it, Lorne, where the hell are you – " 

The sky above him suddenly revealed two puddle jumpers hovering overhead, cutting him off in mid-sentence. Lorne's voice came over a loud speaker. "Sinomean raiders, lay down your weapons and surrender."

"Oh, thank God," Rodney whispered. He shook Sheppard's shoulder as Ronon moved closer to them. "Sheppard, Atlantis is here. Just hang on."

But Sheppard never gave any sign that he'd heard him, his lips still murmuring words Ronon could no longer make out. Rodney sighed as he caught Ronon's gaze and looked up at the jumpers. Ronon hit his radio headset and said, "Lorne, we need Beckett here now. Sheppard's in a really bad way."

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Rodney watched as Lorne stood a short distance away, speaking with his men via radio. He was directing Sgt. Stackhouse and the other teams with orders for securing the Sinomean prisoners. Someone had brought a couple of blankets to spread over Sheppard, not that it provided him much warmth. The man was still lying in the cold, wet mud. Ronon had also had a blanket around his shoulders and he'd gone very quiet. 

"Ronon, talk to me," Rodney said as he kept pressure on Sheppard's leg wound.

"How's Sheppard," Ronon asked after a moment, not sounding anything like he usually did. 

Rodney's worry over his physical state grew. There had to be a limit on Rodney's ability to worry at some point, he reasoned as he stared down at Sheppard, not that he'd seen any sign of a limit yet. In fact, it kept getting worse.

"He's still breathing," Rodney answered, his voice low and graveled. Glancing down at the escaping blood coming from the field dressing, he added, "And he's still bleeding."

Lorne approached them and knelt as he said, "Beckett's on his way. How's he doing?"

"How the hell do you think he's doing?" Rodney snapped back.

Lorne nodded and chewed on his lip. "Do you want me to hold pressure on his leg?" he asked after a moment.

Rodney shook his head. He wasn't feeling particularly chatty at the moment. Sheppard looked like he was at death's door and Ronon was about to pass out. _Hell_ , Rodney thought, _I'm not doing much better._

"Look after Ronon," he said quietly, deciding the whole lot of them were in serious need of time in Beckett's infirmary once Sheppard was squared away. 

He was about to ask what the hell was taking Beckett so damned long when Jumper Two landed a short distance away with Carson. It had seemed as if it had taken hours for him to get there when, in reality, it had only been barely a couple of minutes. Rodney sighed with a depth of relief he didn't think humanly possible. He glanced down at his bloodied hand on Sheppard's leg and sighed again. This time, not a sigh born from relief, but from overwhelming concern. 

Lorne stepped out of the way, so Beckett could get to Sheppard. Carson frowned as he took in their ragged appearance, but he didn't waste any time in getting to work. He knelt beside Sheppard and looked across him to Rodney. "What do we have here, Rodney?" 

Rodney's voice cracked. "He's been shot, cut, blown up, beaten, poisoned, and only God knows what else. The fact that he's still alive is a freaking miracle! We need to get him back to Atlantis now!"

Beckett pulled out a pen light and shone it in one of John's eyes. "That list seems a bit extreme, even for Colonel Sheppard," Carson said grimly as his forehead creased with concern. 

He checked Sheppard's pulse, and then put a hand to Sheppard's forehead. "He's burning up with fever."

"Yeah, I know."

Beckett glanced up as his medics arrived. "Oxygen at four liters," he said to one of them who was carrying equipment and a litter. 

A moment later, there was an oxygen mask over Sheppard's face. Carson nudged Rodney's hand away from Sheppard's leg, removing the dressing and tore back his pants leg to expose the wound. After a quick assessment, he pointed to another medic. "Apply another field dressing and keep tight pressure over it."

Beckett raised his voice. "Okay, people, split up into two groups, three to stay with me and the rest of you to triage our other patients here."

When he was done, he checked Sheppard's pupils again. He looked at the second medic beside him. "Get his BP and start two IVs, one with lactated ringers and the other normal saline. He's badly dehydrated." 

Carson cut open Sheppard's t-shirt and picked up his stethoscope to listen to his chest when he paused to look at the huge swathe of bruises along John's left rib cage. His expression darkened and he asked, "Repeat that list of injuries you mentioned a moment ago."

Rodney took a breath to remember what he'd said, but Ronon answered for him in that pause, reciting the entire list quickly, though he was breathless by the time he finished. Beckett looked up at them, his expression growing increasingly alarmed. "Do you have any idea what kind of poison was it?"

A light dawned for Rodney and he tried to talk so fast, nothing but gibberish came out. Finally, he sputtered, "Oh God, I've got the antidote right here. Well, at least some of it. I stole it from their infirmary." He pulled a small padded vial from where it had been tucked inside his cast and handed it to Beckett. "Is he going to make it?"

Carson took the vial and shook his head. "I don't know yet, Rodney, but this will be a big help in treating his condition."

He looked to the medics with them. "We don't have any time to spare. Let's get the colonel loaded up and back to Atlantis ASAP. I need to see what type of poison we are dealing with. We'll stabilize him on the way."

The medics loaded Sheppard onto a litter and carried him away. Lorne and one medic helped Ronon to stand, and then they trailed behind Beckett's group. Rodney moved close enough to Beckett to ask, "He's-he's going to make it, Carson, right? Please say he's going to make it."

Beckett frowned and sighed heavily. He went silent as he worked with the medics to get Sheppard loaded inside and settled, as if Sheppard warranted his full attention – as if Sheppard warranted everyone's attention. After a moment, Carson motioned for Rodney and Ronon to join him. 

Lorne turned to Rodney and said, "You guys go on, I'll meet you back at Atlantis after I finish up here. Good luck."

Only half acknowledging Lorne's comment, Rodney nodded. He put a hand to Ronon's back. "Let's go before they leave us behind," he said in a rush, but he was surprised to hear the softness in his tone, almost like he was in a hospital – or worse, a mortuary. He sighed. 

_Don't think about things involving death right now_ , he told himself quickly.

They got into the jumper and Carson said to the pilot, "Get this thing moving now!"

Seconds later, Ronon and Rodney were seated and the jumper was in the air. Without stopping, Beckett and his people resumed their work on Sheppard, cutting away Sheppard's uniform, and looking for other injuries that might have been hidden by his clothes. 

They spoke quietly among themselves as they worked, all as if they had forgotten about Ronon and Rodney's presence. Then Beckett said something to one of his men and the man got up and came over to Ronon.

"How are you doing, Ronon?" the man asked respectfully, making sure he made no sudden moves as he knelt in front of him. Ronon's intimidating reputation often had the medical staff moving very carefully around him. 

The medic opened a field dressing and pressed it against Ronon's shoulder. Ronon gritted his teeth together at first, almost growling at the pain, but then fell silent. He closed his eyes as the medic continued to apply firm pressure. 

"Dr. McKay, are you doing okay?" the medic asked, glancing over to him.

"Do I look like I'm doing okay?" Rodney snapped, and clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking now that the adrenaline rush was starting to pass. He pulled his gaze away from Beckett and Sheppard and over at the medic. Rodney blinked a couple of times, trying to remember the man's name. It was Paulson or Peterson – something like that. Maybe. He sighed. Damn, he was bad with names. 

"I'm fine," he said finally, "Just take care of Ronon."

Ronon looked unusually pale in jumper's harsh lighting as he leaned his head back, resting it against a bulkhead. Rodney stiffened suddenly as a new thought occurred to him, causing a small gasp to escape from his lips. He turned to Ronon and said, "Ronon, I – I just realized Carson never answered me when I asked him if Sheppard was going to make it or not."

"Dr. McKay, can you keep pressure on this?" the medic asked, gesturing toward Ronon's shoulder as he went to take Ronon's pulse and blood pressure, barely paying attention to what Rodney had said. 

Rodney did as requested, but perhaps with a little too much zeal, because Ronon opened his eyes in irritation. He didn't complain, though. Before the medic could get the blood pressure cuff on him, Ronon's hand snaked out, touching Rodney on the arm. "Remember, it's Sheppard. The man should have been dead several times over in the last day and a half, and he's still with us."

Rodney glanced up at the big man who spoke with such unwavering confidence and asked, "I know he's like a cat with nine lives, but what happens when all nine lives are used up?"

Ronon swallowed and let his hand drop away as he watched Beckett and his team work, and didn't say anything more, making Rodney's fear for Sheppard's life only grow.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	26. Chapter 26

John stood in the doorway of the villagers' main gathering place. There were children and adults preparing to enjoy a feast. The atmosphere was relaxed and contented as ambient candlelight gave the room a soft warm glow. John inhaled the rich aroma of food cooking and felt himself let go of a little more tension. The animated giggles of the children playing games were occasionally interrupted by the gentle laughter of the adults as they spoke in groups around the room. The overall effect made John sigh with relief.

The villagers were okay. It seemed they had survived their nightmare intact, and put it safely behind them. That made John feel a little better. He had worried about them, about the aftereffects of the Madj's attack and the Sinomean brutality, but apparently he'd worried for nothing. It felt good to stand there and watch everyone enjoying themselves in simple ways. 

Some of the children noticed him standing in the doorway and came running to wrap themselves around his legs. "Colonel Sheppard! We didn't know you were coming!"

Pushing through the children, a few of the adults also made their way to greet him.

"Colonel, so good to see you again. Please, come sit at my table. We were just about to eat," one of the village elders named Doarty said. He was a large man with a relaxed manner. His smile and voice always seemed to be overflowing with friendliness. John nodded and followed him over to where there were others that John recognized. They sat on large pillows around a low table. 

"As the children said, we weren't expecting a visit from you, but it is a pleasure to have you here."

Everyone was relaxed and smiling at John. Somehow, that caught him off guard. Maybe it was because he hadn't expected such a warm reception. After all, he'd survived his encounter with the Sinomeans when many of villagers hadn't. John couldn't keep from frowning. His swirling emotions left him feeling too uneasy for that. 

A lovely young woman placed food in front of him, providing a slight distraction from his thoughts. John knew her from his early visits to the village. "Hi there," he said softly as he returned her flirting smile with one of his own.

"It is good to have an off-worlder here who meant so much to the survival of our village," Doarty said, drawing John's attention back to the others.

John glanced at Doarty and nodded. "And it is good to see you again."

He took a few bites of the meal placed before him, savoring its unique flavor and the peace of soul it seemed to bring with it, but then he noticed Doarty was watching him closely. It disturbed John in a way he couldn't define. He was about to ask Doarty about it when the older man said, "Did you see your men in the corner as you came in? They have enjoyed our hospitality and are very happy to remain here with us."

John stopped eating, slightly puzzled as he glanced at his men and back to the elder. "I'm afraid that they can't just... stay. They have responsibilities."

Doarty's expression didn't reveal much as he said, "I'm afraid that decision isn't up to you any longer."

Confused by the comment, John frowned. "Not to be disrespectful, sir, but I'm afraid it is up to me. Please excuse me for a moment, I need to speak with my men," he said as he stood.

Doarty's gaze seemed troubled as he searched John's expression. He took a deep breath and nodded. John turned and made his way to his men, glancing back at Doarty a couple of times as he went. 

The peace he'd known since entering the villagers' great hall had almost distracted him from something else, namely that little voice deep inside of him that had been whispering subtle words of warning ever since he arrived. He'd just been too occupied with the villagers to pay attention to it until now.

The soldiers were seated at another table, surrounded by a few of the local women and it looked like everyone was having a good time. Private Costa, a short Hispanic man in his late twenties with dark hair, noticed his approach and stood to greet him, saying, "Hello, sir, and welcome."

John put his hands on his hips and frowned. Glancing at the women, he said, "Can you excuse us for a few minutes?"

The ladies nodded and moved away. John turned to face his men. "Just what the hell is going on here? Doarty seems to think you guys are staying here. Care to elaborate on that a bit?"

Costa stepped closer. "What do you mean? Is something wrong, Colonel?"

John let out a long breath. "Yeah, something is very wrong," he muttered, looking around.

John's eyebrows shot up as a cold chill ran down his back. The men around him had all been named by McMurphy and Ronon as killed in action, either from the attack by the Madj or the Sinomeans. 

"Oh, crap," he whispered.

His gaze darted around the room. With a sick feeling, he knew everyone in the meeting hall was also dead, and then a stronger concern gripped his heart. If all of these people were dead, where did that put him?

He backed away without a word, gaping at those around him in stunned confusion. Before he knew it, he was standing at the main hall's entrance. He backed into the doorway, but was stopped by sudden pain so strong he dropped to his knees. That same small voice inside of him said to get moving again, so he forced himself back up. Doarty leaned closer, putting a hand out toward John. "There is nothing to be frightened of here."

"But... " John began, grimacing with his discomfort.

Doarty smiled with reassurance. "This is a place of contentment, a final reward in our journey of life. Here, there is nothing to fear."

John swallowed hard and rasped, "No offense, but I'm not quite ready for death yet."

The elder's expression softened. "Often, the choice is not up to you. Please, come in and partake of our celebration. Lose your concerns and be at peace."

John felt the pull of the elder's sentiment trying to drag him back into the room, but he remained on the threshold. "The longer you stand there, the more you will feel the infirmities of your body. Please just let go of your old life and step inside to join us."

John backed up another step and instantly bent low with new pain. His arm. His leg. His head. His ribs. His stomach. Everything hurt, but worse was the terrible weakness that seemed to pervade his being and he knew it was the weakness that came with death. 

John stood hunched over, raising his gaze to look at the others as they stared at him in dismay. Elder Doarty tried to reach through the door to help him, but his hand wouldn't pass through the threshold. Doarty's compassionate expression touched John's heart, making him wonder if he was wrong to resist the man's request at all.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Rodney hadn't said a word in several minutes. Even in his anxious state, he knew that was very unlike him. Carson and his minions were working across the hall in the infirmary, saving lives, hopefully Sheppard's included. Rodney was waiting with Weir and Lorne in the medical library, instead of their usual place in the infirmary, simply because the infirmary was still overflowing with injured. 

The library was crowded, too, but Rodney didn't pay any attention to the others unless they got in his way as he paced. And they tended to stay out of his way. He'd never been known for his patience, and this situation had expended whatever little he possessed. 

The medical library was a place he'd never set foot in before today, but why would he? The shelves in the room were filled with medical texts and reference books, none of which interested him in the least, but he knew the room's dimensions quite well. Twelve paces by fourteen. He glanced through the open doorway again, looking into the busy infirmary area, wishing that Carson would come and tell them what was going on. 

Deep in his gut, Rodney knew it wasn't going well for Sheppard, not well at all. How could it?

He flashed back to his last conversation with Carson. Carson had pulled him aside, along with Ronon, and said, _"I don't have a lot of time here, but I will tell you what I know right now. Sheppard's injuries are bad enough on their own, but the poison is still stealing away what is left of his strength, making his body start to shut down. The good news is I have your antitoxin to work with, Rodney. If I have enough to reverse the poison, I can deal with his other injuries."_

Rodney paced a little faster at the memory. Something else must be going on. Maybe there wasn't enough antitoxin for Carson to work with. Maybe Sheppard's condition was much worse than Carson had first thought. Or Sheppard's body couldn't fight on so many battle fronts at the same time. He gulped with his next thought. Maybe Sheppard was already dead and Beckett hadn't yet worked up the courage to tell them. 

He sighed with impotent frustration. Staring down at his hands, he wondered if he'd ever be able to clean all the mud from his body. It was under his nails and in his hair, but at least he'd taken the time to change into some clean infirmary scrubs. He began to pace again. _Geez, what is taking Carson so damned long?_

Then Ronon entered the room. His arm was in a sling and he too wore scrubs instead of his grime-covered clothes. Dr. Kent was at Ronon's side, looking like he half-expected Ronon to collapse any minute. Rodney noticed for the first time how really small Dr. Kent was compared to Ronon, but the same could be said for any of them when they stood next to that mountain of a man. _What the hell did Kent expect to do if Ronon actually did collapse? Squeal in agony as he was crushed by Ronon's weight on the library's floor?_

Rodney rubbed his forehead. His thoughts were bouncing around inside his head like ping pong balls at a world championship match with very little to attach one notion with the next and that wasn't a good sign. 

Elizabeth stepped forward from where she'd been sitting with Lorne, pulling Ronon back to the conversation at hand. "Should you be up so soon?" she asked him.

A quick glance at Dr. Kent answered her question for all of them. No, of course he shouldn't. Ronon had two bullet wounds in his shoulder and the remnants of a concussion. But when Rodney looked deep into Ronon's eyes, he saw Ronon's usual self-assurance. Something in the gleam of those green eyes made Rodney feel better about Ronon's condition. The man was still pale and not his usual formidable self, but at least he was walking under his own steam. 

Ronon gave her a look, and then glanced over at Rodney. Their silent gaze passed much between them in those moments. Dr. Kent said, "We still have to go in and do some cleanup surgery on the wound, but we're going to wait until Dr. Beckett has a free moment to assist."

Ronon gave Rodney a quick nod. Rodney straightened his shoulders with the information, but he was too tired for perfect posture, so he went back to being semi-hunched and cradled his broken arm with his good hand. 

"How are Teyla and Zelenka?" Rodney asked Ronon, his voice still very husky from Boneys' attempted strangulation.

Rodney held his breath for a moment, waiting on Ronon. Rodney's worrying over Sheppard now encompassed Teyla and Radek after Elizabeth had explained everything that had happened on Atlantis while they'd been away. Hours had passed and the story still seemed so surreal. 

Now, Rodney needed to hear Ronon's assessment of their conditions before he could move them to the back of his thoughts. The Satedan had never pulled any punches with him. Deep down, he knew the man never would. Somehow, there was a certain reassurance that went along with such brutal honesty. 

Ronon nodded, confidence shining in his eyes. "They are going to be okay, McKay. I just spoke to Teyla. She wants to be in here with us, but she needs to rest, so I told her I'd come get her if anything – happened – you know, with Sheppard."

"She's really okay?"

"She will be."

"And Zelenka?"

"He's sleeping. Dr. Kent says he should be out of the infirmary in a couple of days."

Rodney nodded and sighed with relief. He'd seen Zelenka briefly as they were moving him to another area of the infirmary. The man looked awful. They could have lost him. So many others did die. 

Rodney swallowed hard and turned back to face the curtain again. Now, if only the same could be said for Sheppard. Nobody mentioned aloud what they all feared, but then Rodney wasn't sure he was up to that particular reality check anyway. His worry must have shown, because he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

Elizabeth was beside him. "Rodney? Dr. Kent wants to take some scans of your head and your arm to make sure you're okay."

He glanced over to look at Dr. Kent. The man was staring at him with increasing concern. Had he zoned out on them and missed an entire conversation? Why were they bothering him anyway? He needed to talk to Beckett. 

Elizabeth squeezed his shoulder. "Rodney, are you okay?"

He slid out of her grasp and began pacing again. "Yes, yes, of course, I am. Look, there are more important things to worry about than a few bruises and a knock on the head. I'm fine. Leave me alone." He turned and went back to watching the infirmary across the hall.  
  
Elizabeth tried again. "Rodney, there's nothing we can do for John right now, that's all in Carson's hands. Just take the time to take care of yourself."

Rodney exploded with misplaced rage, throwing an arm into the air as he backed away from her, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Why? Sheppard certainly didn't. He never does! Damn him!" 

He paced for a moment, and then stopped and looked at Dr. Kent as a new thought hit him. He flicked some fingers in Kent's direction and said, "You, go make yourself useful. See how Sheppard is doing so that we can have some definite information."

He glanced at Elizabeth and then at Kent. "Do it for Elizabeth's sake. She worries a lot. Go on now, see what you can find out."

No one said anything for a moment, but then Ronon spoke up, his voice quiet and steady, "McKay, just do like they want you to for once. I'll come get you if there's any word."

Rodney looked up at him, searching his expression for verification, even though he knew in his gut that Ronon would. "You would? Even if I fell asleep or passed out?"

"My word."

Weir took a deep breath. "There, you have it. Now, go get examined _so I can stop worrying_. At least about you."

Rodney's gaze darted around the room, his defiance returning. "Well, I'm certainly not going to pass out. Just like I'm not going to leave this room until I hear from Carson, so all of you can just – "

He stopped when he saw Elizabeth looking over his shoulder, holding her breath. When Rodney turned, Beckett was walking toward them, pulling off a pair of bloodstained latex gloves. He paused to drop them into a container. The man looked like he'd aged years in the last couple of days as he moved with a fatigued air.

"It's about damned time!" Rodney whispered, then stopped. 

One glance at Beckett's face, Rodney suddenly wasn't so anxious to see the man after all.

Without reacting to Rodney's comment, Carson took a deep breath and said, "Well, he's still alive."

Rodney sighed and looked away as he whispered, "Oh, thank God."

Another glance at Beckett and Rodney saw something in the man's expression that stole away what little comfort he'd just been given. Ronon stepped forward. "But?"

"The antitoxin you provided was a big help, Rodney." Carson met Rodney's gaze. The sadness in the doctor's blue eyes dulled their usual sparkling as he added softly, "The colonel's been through a lot between the physical traumas and the poison."

Rodney waved one hand to speed things up. "So, what are you saying? Is he going to be okay or not?"

Carson put his hands on his hips. "It's too soon to say, but things are not very promising at the moment."

No one took a breath for a moment. For Rodney, it seemed like if he tried to breathe, it would make Sheppard's dire condition even more real. He knew his mouth was gaping open, but he didn't have the energy to close it. This couldn't be happening. They'd been through so much, endured impossible situations – Sheppard couldn't have survived everything else, only to die after arriving back home. 

Rodney's gaze darted away. His thoughts were mired in uncertainty and worry. Elizabeth stepped forward, filling the void. "When will you know more?"

Carson wiped a hand over his face. "The next few hours will be critical."

Rodney frowned, his brain refusing to acknowledge what Beckett had just told him. "But he'll – Sheppard – he'll come through it, right?"

The bleakness in Carson's expression was too painful to see, so Rodney looked away. He wished he could start pacing again, and then wished he had the energy to yell in Carson's face to get back in there with Sheppard and not come out again until he could say Sheppard was going to live, but he didn't have it in him. He just didn't have it in him.

"Rodney, you know I won't make any promises that I cannot keep," Carson said carefully. "But I hope so."

Rodney felt his body sway with the weight of the past few days, and then Lorne was at his side. "Easy, doc. I've got you."

Ronon moved closer. "McKay, I'll wait here. You go do what the doctors want you to do. I'll come get you if there's any more word before you get back."

Rodney nodded, glancing back one last time before turning to Dr. Kent. He was about to go with him when an irritatingly loud alarm erupted from across the hallway. It was soon followed by another and then another. They were drowned out in the next moment by a nurse calling for Beckett and Kent, but they were already on their way into the room. 

Rodney's gaze swept around to the others and his mouth dropped open a little before he moved into the hallway, stopping just short of the infirmary door. There may have been a noisy emergency going on only a few feet away, but to Rodney, all he could hear was the thunderous pounding of his heart. 

**oOoOoOoOo**


	27. Chapter 27

Ronon awoke with a start. He could still hear the shrieks of the Madj chasing him in his nightmare. He wiped at the sheen of sweat on his forehead and swore under his breath as he shifted in the chair where he'd fallen asleep.

"Must have been a pretty bad one," he heard coming from another chair.

When he glanced over, he saw McKay sitting there at Sheppard's side with an open book in his hand, as if he had just paused in his oral reading. Rodney gestured toward him with the book. "The dream, I mean. I've been having some real doozies myself since we got back."

Ronon sat up, trying not to grimace as he straightened. His shoulder was better, but he still had a long way to go before it would stop aching. Sitting for hours at a time watching over Sheppard didn't help things much, but he wasn't complaining. The man was still alive and that was all that mattered.

Ronon knew he must have been pretty out of it not to have noticed Rodney's arrival. He found his voice and asked, "How long you been here?"

McKay glanced at his watch. "About a half hour."

Ronon stood, stretching carefully, and then glanced back at the figure in the bed. "Anything happen?" he asked as he turned to face Rodney.

McKay shook his head. With a tired sigh, he stared at the numerous monitors and equipment surrounding Sheppard's bed. "No, it's been dead as a grave yard here," he whispered, and then he cringed. A mortified look came into McKay's expression. "I mean -- not him – I meant I was just bored. You know how I get when I sit around too long – "

"I know," Ronon said softly. "Don't worry about it."

Rodney's voice sounded a little desperate as he said, "It's been three days already. He should be waking up by now. These – these monitors should be showing more positive readings. Most of Beckett's patients are doing better and a lot have been discharged. Why isn't Sheppard getting better?" 

"He will, when he's ready." 

McKay nodded, but Ronon could see the hints of doubt flickering in Rodney's expressive eyes. They both went silent. 

Sheppard's bed was off to the side of the infirmary in an area that was a little more secluded and predisposed for allowing visitors, especially in the numbers Sheppard seemed to attract, even in his unconscious state.

Ronon's gaze took in McKay's appearance. The bruises on his throat were deep purple shifting to yellow green now, matching other areas of his head and arms that Ronon could see. Rodney cradled his broken arm for a moment, and then he put a bookmark in his book. 

His expression still reflected his worry for Sheppard before it brightened and he took on an impish air. "I think I've found a way to get under Sheppard's skin. I mean, really irritate the hell out of him," he said hoarsely, probably from reading for the past half hour, though he didn't seem to notice it. His voice still hadn't fully recovered from the strangling attempt by Boneys.

He flashed the face of the book toward Ronon that was entitled, _Rapture's Sweet Glory_. 

The title meant nothing to Ronon, but obviously it held great significance to McKay as his eyes lit up with mischief. "It's one of _those_ romance novels. I borrowed it from Katie Brown. I figure this is the absolute worst thing I could find to read to Sheppard, other than his old mission reports. He's just gotta hate this. If I read it to him every time I come to visit him, he'll wake up, if for nothing else than to shut me up."

Rodney's smug grin was classic McKay. Ronon stared at him and smirked. He didn't care what it took to get Sheppard conscious again as long as he woke up. McKay waved a hand toward the door. "You can go now that you're awake. I've got the next watch."

Ronon nodded and turned toward the door. "Maybe I'll grab some food and come back here to eat it. You want anything?"

McKay looked up gratefully. "A ham and swiss on rye sandwich, easy on the mayo."

Ronon nodded. 

Then Rodney added, "And some potato salad. It was on the menu for today."

Before Ronon could move, he went on, "And a banana. That should be enough to tide me over until dinner."

Ronon felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward, even as McKay said, "Wait. It's Tuesday. There's that double chocolate cake on Tuesdays. They always run out of it early. And a cup of coffee should round off things nicely."

Something in Ronon's expression must have shown through because McKay backpedaled. "Well, I'm still trying to make up for the starvation and trauma we went endured on Jaxndaxta," Rodney said, rubbing at the bruises on his neck for emphasis.

Ronon wanted to be sure McKay was done, so he paused for a long moment before he said, "Okay. Got it. Be back in a few minutes." 

He stopped a couple of feet from the door and half turned back to Rodney. "Teyla's coming in next?" 

McKay nodded. Seven of them – Ronon, McKay, Weir, Beckett, Lorne, even Zelenka and Teyla – had decided that Sheppard shouldn't be left alone in his unconscious state, so they had made a schedule where one of them was always with him – either talking to him or reading to him all the time, trying in every way possible to draw him back to the living from his coma.   
  
"Yeah, Teyla's next on our hit parade," McKay said, then looked toward the door in surprise. "Or... she could be here right now."

Ronon glanced over to see Teyla standing in the doorway and smiled at her, and then he noticed her pale appearance. He had to remind himself that it had only been four days since her surgery, though her eyes didn't show it. They reflected her usual strength and stamina. His smile turned to surprise when he saw that Casea and Denaz were with her. 

"Casea," Ronon said, glad to see her again.

She approached, extending her arms, and Ronon gave her a quick hug. When she pulled away, she put a hand to his chest and asked, "Dear Ronon, how are you doing?"

"Better," he answered with a smile.

When she eyed him suspiciously, he added, "Really, I'm better."

"You have a very hearty constitution, despite your efforts to undo all the good we did with the healing treatment. Still, you are only human." She pointed a finger at Ronon. She paused as her expression softened. "I am glad you are better."

He said, "And you look more rested."

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am."

Denaz stepped forward and shook Ronon's hand, and then McKay's. "It is good to see you both of you in better shape and under more favorable conditions."

Casea looked toward Sheppard and lowered her voice. "Are you sure we shouldn't allow him some peace and quiet?"

Teyla touched her arm. "No, this is exactly why we are here in the first place. We are hoping Sheppard will hear our voices and it will help to bring him back to consciousness."

Ronon looked at Casea again. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to see both of you, but you aren't here just to check up on us, right?"

Casea shook her head. "We came for our injured who are well enough to travel home. As we were speaking with Dr. Weir and Elder Wealy, Teyla offered to bring us here, so we could visit with you before we left." 

She paused, then said, "Major Lorne will take us home in one of your jumpers. You have all been so generous with your wonderful medical care and other assistance. Our situation would have been much more dire without your help." 

She stopped, her expression growing serious. Casea hesitated a moment, and then asked, "So, there has been little change in his condition since your return?"

Ronon shook his head slightly. "He's had a tough time of it."

McKay rolled his eyes. "A tough time of it? You have such a gift for understatement, Ronon. He's been clinically dead twice before Beckett could bring him back. We're lucky he's been relatively stable for the past twenty-four hours, but he's still not responding to treatment like he should."

Casea studied Rodney closely for a moment, and Rodney's frenetic movements slowed a little. Casea's voice was soft as said, "John kept saying you weren't dead. That you had survived that cave in, and survived Conteale and her men. He never gave up hope for you."

McKay's eyes beamed with pride before they shifted to Sheppard and dimmed a little. 

Casea continued, "Ronon believed John was alive when all of us thought he was lost. You all have such strength of spirit. Trust in John to have the same level of strength, if not more. I just wish there was something else I could do to help."

Casea turned to her son. "I just realized Major Lorne will be prepared for us to leave soon. Would you please make sure the others are ready for transit?"

Denaz nodded and headed toward the door, but stopped when McKay started snapping his fingers together. His gaze met Ronon's at exactly the same moment, and then he grinned broadly, turning his attention to Casea. 

"Wait! You can do more than just wish! You can help to make him better. At least for a day or two...by using the crystals again."

Casea's eyes went wide and she glanced at both of them before looking to her son, her expression going from questioning to hesitant. McKay spoke faster as he stepped forward, "You can do this for Sheppard. You have to do it for the man who saved so many of your people. You have to."

Ronon put a hand on McKay's shoulder and said, "Ease up a little, McKay."

Rodney slipped out of his grasp and began to pace. "No, I won't! Why didn't we think of this before? Hell, here we've been twiddling our thumbs when we had a way to help Sheppard all this time – "

"Just what the hell is going on out here?" Beckett asked as he came into the room. "I didn't know my infirmary had become a meeting hall. I do have other patients a very short distance from you who are trying to rest and recover from their injuries."

McKay silenced him with a wave of his hand and said, "Carson, shut up and just listen. We may have a way to help Sheppard."

Beckett's mouth opened and closed again quickly. "What is it?"

Ronon spoke. "This is Casea, the woman who did the healing treatment on me and Sheppard. If she can do it again, it might give Sheppard a better chance."

Beckett's gaze narrowed as he stared at her for a moment, deep in thought. He swallowed and asked, "Is it possible?"

Right then, Ronon knew Sheppard's condition was bad – really bad – for Beckett to even consider something he knew practically nothing about, aside from the fact that it had helped to restore their health once before.  
  
Casea didn't say anything. Denaz stepped closer to her. Her gaze darted downward as Denaz whispered, "No, Mother, it is too dangerous for you. The two attempts you did in the cavern left you so exhausted. If you try it now – "

Casea put a hand to her son's cheek and smiled. "My beautiful granddaughter is alive because of these men. Did you forget that? I cannot in good conscience refuse their request." 

She paused as she glanced at Carson. "But you must remember, Dr. Beckett, that the treatment might also hasten Sheppard's path to death instead of healing him. The toll the healing takes on an injured individual is great, sometimes more than they can tolerate. Even in the time of my great-grandmother when the treatment was more widely known, the crystal healing was only done in extreme emergencies, for that very reason."

She looked to Sheppard, her brow furrowed. "After his healing in the cavern, John asked me if I could repeat the treatment on him if needed." 

Her gaze became distant as she spoke. "I told him at that time I didn't think he could survive another attempt. He said, _'If the alternative is death, I say go for it.'_ " 

She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced back at Sheppard. She shook her head slightly, and then straightened her shoulders. "It seems only right that we respect and follow his wishes now."

She met Beckett's gaze and said, "I will try the healing treatment one more time, but before I can do it, we will have to return to our planet to gather the supplies."

Denaz stepped in. "No, Mother, let me do the healing treatment. I'm younger and stronger. I can handle the drain better."

She paused in thought, and then stopped, shaking her head. "Not this time, Denaz. John is much weaker than he was in the cavern. To save his life this close to death, it will take everything I've ever been taught to strengthen him enough to cross back over to us. I must do this."

Denaz frowned, but nodded in agreement. "I'll escort our injured home with Elder Wealy, gather what we need, and be back as soon as I can. This way, you can rest and prepare for the healing treatment."

Casea kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"I'll hurry. Be sure to rest," Denaz said. 

Teyla put out a hand in the direction of the door, then said, "Here, I will escort you to where the others are waiting." She ushered Denaz out of the room. 

Ronon looked around him. Everyone seemed to feel the urgency of the moment at hand, but now there was hope. Finally, there was a viable way to help Sheppard, rather than just sitting around doing nothing. He glanced at Sheppard's pasty white complexion. Watching John slowly slip away from them had not just been hard. No, it had been like hell at not being able to help him in any way, a hell Ronon would do anything to help end. 

Now, there was hope. He just prayed it wasn't false hope.

oOoOoOoOo


	28. Chapter 28

"Teyla, if you were to talk to John privately, what would you say to him to draw him back?" Casea asked as the two of them sat together in the mess hall. Neither one of them had touched the food in front of them while waiting for Denaz's return.

Casea's question seemed to take Teyla by surprise. She drew a breath slowly and held it, her hand gliding to her injured side before it dropped back down to the table. 

"I guess," she said, and then paused before she started again. "I guess, I would say for John to follow his heart, that he needed to let the ties to his friendships here guide him back home again. He loves this city and the people in it. If he were here, he would no doubt make light of the sentiment, but his need to protect it and its people is great. And he cares a good deal more than he would ever say out loud."

"You know him well," Casea said, nodding. "Yes, he definitely has a strong heart that fuels his decisions and actions."

Teyla smiled in agreement, then her smile grew tentative. "Do you really believe the healing will work again?"

Casea didn't answer right away. When she did, it was with hesitation. "It is hard to say. He is gravely injured," she admitted softly.

Teyla almost flinched at her comment, as if Casea's words had caused her physical pain this time, and she let her gaze drop down to the table before it came back up. "I see... "

Casea took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have allowed my fears to taint your hopes. His chances are good. We must believe he will make it. Pray to the Creator that a divine hand will guide the healing to success."

Teyla looked at her, as if searching her expression for confirmation. She nodded finally. "We must believe, because knowing John, he will scold us all harshly, if we do not." 

Casea smiled and stood. "Yes, I think you are right. Thank you for talking to me. I will leave you to your meal. There are others I must search out before I begin."

She turned toward the door and saw McKay entering the mess hall. "And here is one of them now. If you will excuse me, Teyla."

Teyla nodded. "Of course," she said as she pushed away her food. "I think I shall return to the infirmary."

"I will meet you there in a short while."

**oOoOoOoOo**

Casea approached McKay as he got into line with his tray in hand. He had a distracted air, and he appeared very tired, his gaze slowly moving over the food choices in front of him without choosing anything. 

"Dr. McKay?" she asked, drawing his attention.

He noticed her for the first time and moved out of the line. "Oh, Casea, I was looking for you. Carson said you had left with Teyla, but he didn't know where."  
  
"We've been here. But I don't mean to keep you getting your meal," she started, gesturing toward his tray.

McKay slid his still empty tray back on the rack. "Oh, this? I'm not really very hungry. I was just going to get a snack before we started – I mean, before you started – your thing – you know, your healing treatment thing."

He stepped away from the food counter and folded his arms in front of his chest. "And I was looking for you, because I would like more information on this whole healing scenario. I wasn't there when you tried it on Ronon and Sheppard before, and – " he said, then paused, looking for the right words.

"And... you are apprehensive about it now?"

His expression revealed his fear and he swallowed hard. "With Sheppard in the sad shape that he's currently in, what are his odds of surviving the healing treatment?"

She put a hand to his tensed arm and said, "They are what they are. We can only pray that the strength we give him will be enough."

McKay didn't look satisfied with her answer. She let her hand drop and said, "I was seeking you out, too, before beginning the treatment."

Rodney's eyebrows went up. "Oh? Why?"

She nodded. "I've got a question to ask you. Sheppard thinks a lot of you. If you were to talk to him right now, what would you tell him to bring him back from the edge?"

McKay looked puzzled by her question before he squared his shoulders. "I'd tell him to use that infernal stubbornness of his to make it back here. And to do it fast. We have many other more important things to do besides wasting valuable time worrying about him."

His gaze dropped down before he found his voice again, though it was barely above a whisper. "You don't know him like we do, Casea. He'd make a saint pray for patience, especially when he thinks he's right about something. But – but he can use that damned spunk to get well. He's a smart guy – well, most of the time – when he isn't acting like a spoiled three-year old."

His eyes searched her expression, then he asked, "You can talk to him? Really? Even in a coma?"

"It is difficult to explain, but it is said that when healings involve the seriously ill, the healer can communicate with the patient – reaching them in their injured state. There is pain in the healing, hence the more infirmed, the greater the pain. The healer takes their patient's consciousness to another... place and helps guide them back when the healing is done."

McKay looked like he didn't know what to do with the new information. His brow furrowed as he looked at her. He he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This had better work, because I honestly don't know what I'd – I mean, the city would do – " 

He stopped himself, rubbing a hand over his face and said, "Just tell Sheppard to use his head and he'll figure out how to get back here. No, wait – "

He put up a finger. "Tell him to breathe and think, think and breathe. Yes, he'll know what that means. At least, that's the best advice I can come up with at the moment."

He smiled before his expression grew pensive again. She put a hand on his arm to still her fears. "I will tell him of these things for you, Rodney. Have faith. This will work."

He looked at her, his clear blue eyes meeting her gaze. Finally, he nodded. 

She smiled and said, "Thank you for talking to me. Now, I wish to speak with Ronon before Denaz returns."

Rodney pointed with his thumb as he said, "I just saw Ronon on my way here. He was in the library across from the infirmary."

Casea smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded, and then his gaze caught sight of the food counter again. "Maybe I'll get a quick snack before we start. You see, I have a problem with low blood sugar and need to eat frequently – ah, damn it! They're out of chocolate cake already! Excuse me, I'll talk to you back in the infirmary."

Casea chuckled and turned away, obviously now forgotten by McKay as he waved at one of the food service people. "Hey, do you have any more of the double chocolate cake hidden away back there? And don't say you don't stash away some for yourselves, I'm on to all of you!"

**oOoOoOoOo**

When Casea found Ronon, he was about to leave the library. She smiled and asked, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

He nodded and they stepped into the corridor. "I thought you were supposed to be resting," he said as he scratched his chin.

She shrugged. "I will rest when it is time, not before. This is important."

His brow furrowed as he looked at her. "What is it?"

"I have an idea that I'm working on. I'd like to know what you would say to John if you were the one talking to him, instead of me. I only ask, because the healing treatment this time will demand much more from him. John looks at you almost as a younger brother and I think he would listen to your words over my own."

Ronon stood with one hand on his hip. He took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "I'd tell him to embrace the healing and use the pain to fight his way back. Fight with everything he has. And not to stop until he's back here with us again. Dying is not an option – " 

Ronon stammered for a moment before continuing, "Sheppard has a way of surviving when there's no way he should be able to. He fights, and keeps on fighting, even when everything around him says to give up. He's taught me a lot about fighting." 

Then he paused. "But he's taught me more about living."

Ronon's gaze focused on a distant part of the hallway as he said, "I was on the run for seven years." He glanced away and sighed. "It's a long story, but I devoted so much energy to killing the Wraith and just trying to stay alive that I kind of forgot what it meant to really live. Sheppard gave me a new chance at life. He's that kind of man, the kind that makes you look for the up side of any situation, and he usually finds it."

Ronon's expression turned more serious, but his voice grew softer. "Just tell him I'm not giving up on him and neither should he."

Casea saw tears welling in the big man's eyes and he looked away to get a handle on his emotions. She simply leaned forward and hugged him. "I will tell him your words," she whispered into his chest, and then pulled away.

Ronon blinked a few times and nodded. His voice was hoarse as he said, "I think I'll go over to the gate room to wait for Denaz to return. See if he needs any help bringing back the stuff you need."

She nodded and he left without another word. Then again, he didn't need to say any more. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

Casea was about to cross the hallway when she ran into Dr. Weir, coming out the infirmary. Dr. Weir stopped and smiled at her. "I hear you are about to begin."

Casea nodded. "As soon as Denaz returns."

Weir rubbed her fingers together nervously, glancing into the infirmary area for a moment before looking back at Casea. "I can't stay long. There's too much going on for me with the repairs to the city's systems to do more a quick stop at the moment. I just wanted to offer my support and say thank you for doing this for John."

She took a deep breath, dipping her head down before she brought it up again. "I hate to be blunt, but I'm short on time. Do you think repeating this healing treatment will work?"

Casea smiled. "That is the question on everyone's lips. I wish I had a good answer, but I won't know until we try."

Weir's eyes closed briefly, and then she nodded. "Very well, I will check back as soon as I finish the meeting I have in a few minutes."

She was about to walk away when Casea asked, "Before you leave, could you a spare me a quick moment?"

The question caught Weir by surprise and she nodded. "Of course, what is it?"

"I am told John respects you, both as a leader of your people and as a friend. I need to hear what words you would say to him right now, if you could talk to him. It might help me to reach him more effectively."

Weir rolled her eyes, as if she thought the question would take more than a quick moment. She inhaled slowly. "I would say for John to remember his responsibilities."

Casea looked at her, waiting for more. When none came, she asked, "That's all?"

"Yes," Weir said with confidence. "Well, at least to start off with."

"Why?"

"Because that would get his attention. To John, the responsibility of everyone under his command means a great deal to him. I didn't realize how much until he was forced into a command position, but he immediately took on the duties... not always willingly and sometimes he is very wily in accomplishing his goals, but he has a natural ability to lead."

Casea nodded in encouragement when Weir paused. Her voice was softer when she started again. "Knowing him, he'd move heaven and earth to get back here, just because of his sense of responsibility." She thought for a moment, then said, "Then once I had his attention, I'd tell him to forget his responsibilities to the city – to us – and think of himself for once."

Her response intrigued Casea. "You know him well."

Weir smiled. "I should. We've been through enough crises together to have a good understanding of the man. Tell him I said to fight for his life as hard as he fought to save the lives of your fellow villagers. If he does that, he'll definitely come out of this alive."

Casea gave her an appreciative nod and said, "Thank you, Dr. Weir. I will tell him." Then she turned to walk into the infirmary.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Carson fought against the momentary flash of second thoughts he had flittering across his mind. After all, he knew practically nothing about this healing treatment, but his concerns vanished the moment he took a look at the monitors on the medical equipment around Sheppard's bed. John's readings were slowly sliding their way closer to death.

He glanced down at Sheppard. His shoulders and mid-back were elevated on separate risers to give Casea enough room to reach under him with a Benji crystal. His chest was bare except for a strip of Glentick-covered cloth about eight inches wide completely enveloping it at rib level. His arm wound was bandaged, but the bandages couldn't hide the smaller cuts and bruises that covered a good deal of his skin.

They were going to try for a more systemic healing this time, in order to treat more of his injuries in the healing, but it would also place a much greater demand on his body. Carson stared at the two Benji crystals, one ruby red and the other emerald green, sitting on the bedside tray, thinking how Sheppard's life now depended on those inanimate objects and Casea's ability as a healer to control them... all elements that went beyond Carson's understanding of science and medicine. He only knew they had worked on Ronon and Sheppard once before and he prayed they would work again.

Casea and her son spoke in whispered tones on the other side of Sheppard's bed. Carson couldn't help but notice how worried Denaz appeared for his mother, but she waved him off, though not completely hiding her apprehension. 

"I need a moment to prepare," Casea said softly as she sat on a stool beside the bed.

Denaz glanced at Carson when Casea closed her eyes. The young man's dark gaze spoke volumes. Carson reached across the bed to touch Casea's arm. "Casea, luv, tell me exactly what is your risk here."

Her brown eyes were shiny with determination as she said, "John doesn't have time for selfish concerns." 

She reached down to pick up the crystals with both hands, hefting the weight of each one individually. "We must do this soon or it will be too late. His condition deteriorates."

Carson looked from her to her son. "Denaz?"

Denaz didn't say anything. He just stared at his mother with a pleading expression. Casea sighed, her gaze darting around the room. "Normally, none, only some fatigue afterwards."

She looked to Sheppard. "But John's condition is grave and there is a possibility, a good possibility, that the process might draw more energy from me than I can tolerate. If that happens, I will likely collapse, but Denaz should be able to take over for me and complete the treatment."  
  
Carson rubbed the back of his neck, frowning in concern. When he glanced back up at her, he said, "I really don't need another patient at the moment. Is there any way to minimize the danger to yourself?"

Casea shook her head. "I know of no way to do it any differently, at least in a way that doesn't lessen the effectiveness of the treatment." 

Carson walked around the bed, moving closer to her. "Colonel Sheppard would be the first one to tell you that you don't have to do this," he said softly.

She met his gaze and straightened her shoulders. "I know. And that's exactly the reason why I'm going to continue. I've seen his courage firsthand and grown because of it. I'm sorry about hesitating earlier. It was just a fleeting moment of weakness on my part."

Carson took a deep breath. "That's what makes us who we are, Casea. Moments of weakness and strength that bind together to form a life." 

Her expression softened, but then her gaze became penetrating. She set down the crystals and turned to Carson. "You've known John for a while?"

"A number of years, yes."

"If you could speak to him now, what would you say?"

Carson frowned and scratched at the back of his neck. "Well, he wouldn't be too interested in what I'd have to say at the moment. In fact, I can practically assure you he wouldn't want to hear it."

Casea chuckled, and then looked at him more closely, waiting. 

Carson's eyebrows rose. "You mean you're serious?"

She nodded.

He sighed. "Well, I suppose if I could really talk to him, I'd say to stop fooling around and get back here as fast as possible. Colonel Sheppard often finds himself in certain predicaments – rather dangerous predicaments – though not with injuries as serious as these, but it happens far too frequently to suit me."

Carson sighed again. "But he already knows what I would say about that, too. I'm afraid he's heard it from me far too often to suit him."

He moved closer to John, searching for the right words. "If I could talk to him now, I'd say for him to use that amazing fortitude and stamina of his and focus on living. We need him here. Atlantis needs him here. The city wouldn't be the same without him. I don't know if he understands that as well as he should – "

A sudden beep from the heart monitor startled Carson and he cursed under his breath. He stepped closer, looking at the readings carefully, and then glanced up at Casea. 

"It's his heart. An arrhythmia, probably from the accumulated strain of his injuries and the poison. It might be a passing abnormality, or it could be a serious problem. I don't like it. I can treat it with medication, but I'd rather not. His system can't take much more."

Casea nodded with a new urgency. "I am ready to begin."

She picked up the crystals again, one in each hand, and tightened her grip on them. Carson touched her arm. "Good luck, lassie. I'll be monitoring Colonel Sheppard's condition, and yours, if need be."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if going into a meditative state. Her eyes popped open a moment later. "I must warn you again, John's condition will worsen before it gets better. Do what you need to do to keep him alive. I only ask that one of us, Denaz or myself, stays in constant contact with him through the crystals. It's vital to ensure the healing continues to its completion." 

Carson nodded. She raised one crystal above Sheppard's heart and slipped the other underneath him in the space provided. She began to twirl the crystals slightly and waved them around until she apparently found the right area. Instantly, her expression tensed and sweat began to bead on her skin. Her breathing slowed and deepened. 

Carson watched in alarm as Sheppard's heart rate and respiration increased. His body seemed to be under a terrible strain. He glanced at Ronon, but Ronon merely nodded to acknowledge this was normal. Carson took another look at John and bit his lip at what he saw.

_Bloody hell, this is supposed to help the man?_

He heard a noise behind him. When he glanced over, he saw Teyla and McKay moving closer, obviously disturbed by what they saw. Then he remembered they hadn't seen the process before, either. Both appeared unnerved by the strain on Sheppard, especially when the arrhythmia made the heart monitor begin to chirp at a steady pace. 

Sheppard's breathing grew faster and more ragged. Ronon put out a hand to keep McKay back, but Rodney merely stepped around him and moved forward with Teyla right behind him.

"Dr. Beckett?" Teyla asked breathlessly. "Is he okay?"

Carson didn't answer right away. The truth was if the arrhythmia got any worse, he'd be forced to use medication to control it, or in a worst case scenario, the defibrillator. Carson caught Ronon's eye with a questioning gaze.

"Settle down, everyone," Ronon said, moving up between them. "This is the way it works."

"But – " Teyla's voice dropped off as she watched, her eyes filled with tears of empathy and Ronon knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate much more. 

"Why does this _'treatment'_ suddenly reek of mediums and seances? Where's my Ouija board and voodoo dolls?" McKay muttered in the background before spinning around to face Carson. "You have to stop this now before it kills him!"

Carson stood unmoving. His heart screamed in agreement, but his head said to give Casea a chance. Rodney began pacing. He was nervous and that meant his tendency toward biting sarcasm would crackle like a well used whip as he looked for a way to vent some of his stored anxiety. 

Carson glared at him and whispered, "Rodney, please be still!"

Ronon did more than that. He clasped a hand on Rodney's shoulder and turned to face him. "This is the way it works, McKay. Deal with it!"

McKay slipped out of Ronon's grasp and pointed at Sheppard. "Look at him, for God's sake. He's going to have a seizure or a heart attack or something!"

Ronon shook his head. He turned to Denaz and said, "Denaz, tell him this is supposed to happen."

When Denaz didn't answer, everyone looked in his direction, but Denaz's attention was focused solely on Casea as she sat on the other side of Sheppard's bed. Just then another monitor began to sound off. Ronon bit his lip and sounded a little less sure of himself as he said, "But... it didn't take this long last time."

Carson stared at Ronon for a moment, and then his gaze darted to Denaz. Something was wrong, Carson knew it in his gut. He only prayed that Denaz and his mother knew how to handle it.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	29. Chapter 29

Private Costa came up behind Elder Doarty and called to John. "Sir, you have to step through soon or you'll be stuck in between." 

John held his throbbing arm close to his chest and asked, "In between?"

Costa nodded. "You know, not in the living and not in the afterlife. You'll be stuck in between the two. And even though it seems like you haven't been here long, time is passing very quickly on the other side. Your body is weakening."

John swallowed and tried to straighten. He couldn't back up anymore and he wouldn't go forward. Then he heard his name being called from somewhere in the void behind him. The soft voice was vague and distant, making it very hard to listen to, and even harder to make out the words.   
  
John turned toward the voice, unable to see through the murky veil separating him from the other side, but the urgency there was compelling. John took a deep breath. He had a decision to make. In the end, it wasn't really a decision. It had never really been one. He wanted to live. He just wasn't sure if the desire alone was enough to draw him back to the living.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Casea gasped. Even the two treatments on John and Ronon together hadn't drained her as much as this had. The worst part was that she wasn't done yet. She still had to reach out to John. It would all be for nothing if she couldn't bring him back with her.

"John? John, can you hear me?"

There was only silence.

"John, please, it's Casea. You have to answer me."

She felt a rush of fear. Was he too close to death to respond? 

She shouted, "John Sheppard, you have to answer me!"

"Who's there?" came back a faint reply.

Her breath caught. He was there, but he sounded so weak.

"It's Casea. I've come to bring you back to Atlantis."

"What? I can't hear you."

His whispered words squeezed at her heart. He had to hear her. What was more, he had to answer. "John, you must come with me back to Atlantis! You must come now!"

There was a pause. "I don't know if you can hear me, but you're too far away for me to understand you."

Casea searched her memories for everything she'd ever been taught by her mother and grandmother about the healing technique and what happened with the soul while the healing was taking place, but they had never covered anything like this. 

"John, please listen to me," she begged.

"I can't hear you," he whispered back, "and it hurts too much to listen."

"John," she murmured, "You have to fight – you have to or all is lost."

The silence that answered instead of John was a bitter thing to bear alone.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Every once in a while, Colonel Sheppard's chest shuddered as he exhaled, but then there was a long pause, as if he didn't have another breath to draw in. It was unnerving for Carson and he'd seen it happen countless times with patients before. Unfortunately, McKay came unglued with the sight.

"Carson, you have to stop this! And I'm talking _right now_! What are you? Some type of sadist in disguise? Damn!"

Carson stepped closer to him and said softly, "Rodney, listen to Ronon. He's been through this already. It's worked before. We have to pray it will work again."

Rodney's eyes searched Carson's expression, and then let his gaze drop down to the ground as he rubbed at the back of his neck. 

"No, damn it!" he shouted, his eyes wide with concern before he turned away. 

"Rodney, please understan–" Teyla started. He turned away from her, blinking rapidly. 

When she reached out to him, he sidestepped her, shaking his head as he walked toward the door. He stopped and glanced back without meeting anyone's gaze. "I can't do this. I can't watch him die. Not again. It's too much like watching Kolya's Wraith suck the life out of him. That was bad enough. This is worse, because he's right here and we have the power to stop it, but we aren't."

He glanced around at everyone, looking for support. When none came, he turned and left. The others stood immobile for a moment before Teyla started toward the door. Ronon put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go after him." 

He took off and Teyla looked toward Carson. "How much longer will this take?"

Carson turned to Denaz, but Denaz's attention was solely on his mother. Carson reached out with a hand to touch the young man lightly on the shoulder. "Is she okay?" he asked.

Denaz was startled by the contact and gasped as he glanced up at him, and then back over to his mother. "She's not unconscious, but she's not totally conscious either. I'm worried about her. About both of them."

Carson put a finger on Casea's carotid artery to check her pulse. It was weak, but steady, but then he glanced down at Sheppard. The man's coloring was slightly improved. He brushed his fingers against Sheppard's temple. He glanced to a monitor for confirmation. John's fever was down a couple of degrees and his blood pressure was closer to the normal range. In fact, a number of his readings were better. Carson breathed a little easier. Sheppard seemed to be doing better. 

Carson smiled and looked up at Teyla with encouragement. "It's working," he said with relief. 

He went to check Sheppard's other vital signs, but then paused. One of the monitors tracking Sheppard's heart rhythm began to beep again. Carson moved closer to watch the readout. It was occasional at first but it was disturbing. That damn arrhythmia is back. 

He turned to Lori, his nurse, and said, "He's throwing some more PVCs. Get me some lidocaine and a new set of blood gases – "

"Mother!" Denaz cried as Casea slumped over Sheppard. Carson was standing beside her and Denaz shouted to him, "Catch her." 

Denaz acted on blind faith that Carson would act, because he went for the Benji crystals before they fell from Casea's hands. He scooped them up and moved them back into position as Carson grabbed Casea. Carson started to turn and move Casea to another bed when Denaz shouted again. "No!"

The young man swallowed hard as he concentrated on what he was doing. "She needs to stay close. She's the one who has the connection to Sheppard," he said breathlessly.

Carson balanced Casea on the stool, not quite sure what to do. Her head slumped against his chest without moving. Carson glanced to Denaz again. The change in the young man was immediate and also cause for concern. His face was misted in sweat and he was breathing in shallow gasps of air.

Carson waved a couple of fingers toward Lori and she came over to him. "Hold her for me. I'm going to try the lidocaine."

He injected the medication into Sheppard's IV line, and then glanced at Casea. "Is it just exhaustion?" he asked Denaz.

Denaz shook his head. "I can't tell yet."

"Well, I might not know exactly what's going on, but I don't like this change of events. Sheppard isn't strong enough to deal with any more problems."

Denaz looked at his mother and then at Sheppard. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the drain on him obvious. "Maybe I can finish what my mother started," he murmured.

Sheppard inhaled sharply and tried to inhale again, gasping for breath that didn't seem to want to come. 

_Ah, bloody hell,_ Carson thought as he adjusted Sheppard's oxygen flow, increasing it to its safest maximum level. 

_What next?_ he wondered dismally. He bit his lip. _Don't go wishing for more trouble with a question like that. After all, you don't dump gasoline on a blazing fire._

The colonel gasped in his haphazard way again. Carson paused. He had to think of a way to help John until Denaz and Casea could do their job.

**oOoOoOoOo**

_Just how long have I been standing in this doorway?_ John wondered. 

Was Costa right? Had the few minutes he thought he'd spent here actually been hours? Days? He had no gauge to go by. What was worse, it seemed the line between life and death was getting muddied. Would he actually know if he crossed over into death?

Then he smiled with certainty. He hurt too damn much to be dead. His thoughts were interrupted by the voice calling to him from beyond the void again, this time from the great hall. 

"Sir, please listen!" Costa shouted, competing for John's attention. 

He turned back to see the young man standing with an outstretched hand. "Sir, please, come in and join us. It's not so bad here. In fact, it's really nice. You'll like it. Come on in."

John looked at his soldier and glanced around inside the great hall, feeling its warmth, smelling the food, hearing the pleasant voices. The place wasn't that bad. It was comfortable, friendly, inviting even – 

He froze in place, his heart rate doubling for a moment. He couldn't think like that. He had work to do. A life to live. He wasn't giving up.

Then he sensed a change, a slow but steady surge in his body's strength. He wasn't sure where it came from, but he meant to use it to his advantage. He spun back toward the void and was trying to take another step into it when his pain skyrocketed. He shuddered under its weight, his feet refusing to budge. Maybe there was no going back. Maybe he was beyond the point of no return.

"Colonel Sheppard?" he heard from the great hall.

When he looked back, Elder Doarty was talking. "Sheppard, please, it is disturbing for everyone here to watch you suffer so. Come, join us and end your suffering. No one has ever stood in the doorway as long as you have... at least no one who came here and returned to the other side." The man's voice was soothing and enticing.

John closed his eyes and tried to ignore him and the others. He had to if he wanted to live.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	30. Chapter 30

Denaz's hand dropped slightly from its position over Colonel Sheppard's chest, his brown eyes full of desperation. "It's not working. I can't make a connection with Sheppard."

Carson looked at him across John's bed as he hung another unit of blood. "You can't give up, son. His condition is stabilizing a bit. Perhaps this transfusion of packed red blood cells will help a little more. We can't give up yet."

Teyla asked, "Is his heart rhythm returning to normal?"

Carson sighed, watching the monitors. "The PVCs aren't as frequent, but they are still there."

Denaz held the crystals in place as he looked at his mother. He stopped, his eyes widening a little as he glanced back at Sheppard. "Maybe if I can strengthen my mother, she can pass that strength along to Sheppard."

"How do you know she's _with_ Sheppard?" Carson asked, a little leery.

"Because that's what happens during the healing, your consciousness goes someplace else with the healer. She's with Sheppard. It might work." 

Denaz blinked at the sweat in his eyes. Carson grabbed a gauze pad and swabbed Denaz's forehead with it. Denaz nodded in thanks as he said, "Put my mother's hand over Sheppard's. Make sure the physical contact is constant. They have to be touching in order for this to work."

Carson did as requested while Denaz closed his eyes and went into a meditative state.

Teyla turned toward the door, catching Carson's eye and he followed her gaze. Ronon stepped inside with McKay at his heels, looking chagrined. McKay's expression changed to concern when he saw Denaz leaning over Sheppard, instead of Casea.

"What happened?" Rodney asked, worry in his voice.

Carson pursed his lips together for a moment and glanced over at Sheppard. "The colonel was doing a little better, but then Casea collapsed. Denaz is trying to stabilize them both right now."

"Dr. Beckett?" Lori said.

Carson swiveled toward Lori as she held onto Casea and said, "I think she's breathing a little easier."

Carson put a finger against Casea's carotid artery and nodded. "Aye, and her pulse is stronger. Whatever Denaz is doing, it's helping her."

Carson glanced back to Sheppard and cursed. Sheppard hadn't made the same dramatic change for the better. Everything was still on the low side of alive. Damn, things had to change and soon.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Sir, you need to do something soon, or else I'm afraid you really will get stuck in between."

John didn't answer. He was trying very hard to listen for that voice that had been calling to him before. But he didn't hear anything now, aside from the words of the dead trying to talk him into crossing over to their side.

Then Doarty shifted nervously before squaring his shoulders. He held a hand out in Sheppard's direction. "Your Private Costa is quite right, Colonel Sheppard. If you can't come back to us, you have to focus everything you have on returning to the other side. Focus on the people you care about. Let them draw you back."

For the first time since he'd been there, Sheppard thought he was hearing good advice. He nodded and closed his eyes. He thought about Teyla, McKay, Ronon, Weir, Beckett, and so many others. Images of their faces flashed across his mind's eye. It felt good to think of them. His memory of them lifted his spirit and gave him renewed strength. 

He felt himself drift a bit farther from the threshold, but not enough to really leave. Suddenly, the pain and exhaustion that had been plaguing him jumped to a whole new level. He knew he was running out of time. John tried to move out of the doorway to cross back into the great hall, but couldn't. He briefly wondered what it would be like to spend an eternity _in between_ , but then redoubled his resolve. 

It didn't matter, because he was going home or he'd die trying.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Carson looked at the EKG readout and frowned. 

"How much longer, Denaz?" he asked quietly.

Denaz's furrowed brow deepened in silent reply. 

Ronon stepped closer to Carson and asked, "How are they doing?" 

"Casea's blood pressure is quite elevated, along with her heart rate and respiration." He paused, looking from one patient to the other.

"If Sheppard's aberrant heart beats increase in their frequency any more, I'll be forced into using the defibrillator to bring his heart back into normal sinus rhythm."

"But that would affect Casea, too, would it not?" Teyla said, moving into their conversation. 

Carson nodded as she came to a stop beside him. "Yes. Because of that, there can be no one in physical contact with Sheppard when I use the defibrillator."

Rodney moved closer, waving a pointed finger in the air. "What about Denaz and the crystals? Casea said it was vital to keep the crystals in place until the healing was done."

Ronon put his hands up in warning. "Remember, everyone, Casea also reminded us that the patient gets worse before they get better, right?"

"Well, it certainly can't get much worse," Carson said under his breath. He looked up at the others and started waving them away. "If I've got to do something, I'll need the space to move, so back by the door with the whole lot of you."

He raised his voice, calling into another area of the infirmary. "Dr. Kent, I'll require your assistance, along with a couple of nurses in here on the double!"

"On my way."

Carson began to gather what he would need as he continued to mutter under his breath. He didn't like his narrowing field of options one little bit.

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
Casea stopped for a moment, feeling strange. Something was happening. She was rapidly being distanced from her body and she knew time was running short, not only for Sheppard, but also for herself.

"JOHN!" she shouted with all that she had.

"Ouch, you don't have to yell," she heard a pained reply from John.

Her heart leapt with joy. He was so much closer now. "John, oh thank goodness! You can hear me finally!" 

"Yeah, Casea, I'm not sure why but I can understand you this time."

"Perhaps it is because I am closer to crossing over myself now?" She stopped, cursing her choice of words. No need to alarm Sheppard. He already had enough to worry about. "Well, that's a little too dramatic. I'm just closer to you than I was before."

"Why? What's going on?"

"We are trying another healing treatment."

There was silence for a long moment. "I thought you said that would be dangerous."

"Yes, but you told me if death was the only alternative to go for it, so we did."

"Oh, I was doing that well, huh? Yeah, well, I had a feeling that something was going on. Strange thing is I started feeling a little stronger, so I tried on my own to come back, but couldn't." He paused for a moment. "What exactly happens if I get stuck in between the living and the dead?"

"In between?"

"Yeah, that's what Private Costa and Elder Doarty called it."

"Elder Doarty? You were able to talk to him?" Casea asked with amazement. She knew Doarty had died in the initial attack by the Sinomeans. Was John really close enough to the dead that he could talk to them? 

"Yeah, in the great hall. Well, not your great hall. This was bigger, warmer, more content – " he stopped when he realized how comforting the place had been. 

The thought scared him and he didn't say anything until Casea asked, "In the great hall, but how – " 

She stammered for a moment, and then shook off her astonishment. "Don't worry about that right now, John, because you aren't staying here. You have to fight with everything you have. That's what Ronon told me to say to you. He said he's not giving up on you, so you shouldn't give up on him."

"I'm not giving up," he said quickly.

She pushed forward. "Good. Maybe some more words from your friends will help to give you further strength. Dr. McKay said to use your infernal stubbornness – that's his words – to find a way to come back. Breathe and think. Think and breathe. He said you'd know what that meant."

Sheppard grunted, but didn't say anything more. 

She pressed on. "Dr. Weir said to say one word to you. Responsibility. But not as you might think. Instead, as a responsibility to yourself. Fight as if you were trying to save Atlantis or my village. She said if you did that, you wouldn't have any trouble coming back."

Casea sensed a reaction of some sort, so she continued. "Dr. Beckett said to use that amazing fortitude and stamina of yours to find your way home again. He also said to say the city needs you – that the city wouldn't be the same without you there, and that you should appreciate that more than you actually do."

She took Sheppard's silence to mean she was getting through to him. "And Teyla said to use your heart, let it draw you back to those you love, the city you love. Let your heart draw you back. Listen to the wisdom of your friends and fight." 

She thought she heard a low groan, then Sheppard said emphatically, "Look, I am fighting. It's just not working."

"Think again of your friends. What would they do right now if they were here to help you instead of me?"

The groan turned into a growl. "They would keep trying to find a way to get me home."

"And they would be right. Keep trying," she said, sensing a change in him. "You can't stop trying."

"I'm not giving up, but we've got to find a better way, a different way, because just wanting to go back isn't enough."

"We'll find it, John. Just give Denaz time to work."

"Denaz? Why?"

"The healing treatment now requires the assistance of both of us to bring you home."

"Oh great," he muttered.

Casea felt a wave of weakness, and then Sheppard said, "Whoa."

She asked, "You felt it, too?"

"Yeah, I have a feeling the fight just got tougher – " He stopped and she could sense sudden concern. "This isn't putting you in any danger is it? I mean, helping me isn't hurting you, is it?"

"Don't worry about that right now. Just focus on returning to your friends."

"Ah, crap, it is doing something to you. Damn it, end this right now. Go back and I'll get back on my own."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Casea, you have to!" Sheppard said emphatically. "Now is not the time for stubbornness!"

"No, it exactly the right time for stubbornness and you know it!"

In a way, she was glad there wasn't anything he could do to make her abandon him. In fact, she might be able to use his protectiveness of others to save his life. If he thought her life was in peril, it might be the added burst he needed to come back.

She concentrated on John, but recoiled once she got a better read on him. He was so weak, so very weak. It was going to take all of them, Denaz, Beckett, Sheppard and herself, working together to bring him back. She focused on sending Sheppard every bit of strength she could spare, but part of her worried it might not be enough.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Is there any change?" McKay asked Dr. Kent, who was standing beside him.

Kent looked at the monitors. "Not for the best. His breathing is getting worse. If this keeps up, we'll have to intubate him."

McKay shook his head and whispered, "Come on, Sheppard. Just do what you told me to do. Breathe and think, most importantly, breathe."

Teyla stood stoically with her arms folded in front of her as Ronon began to pace. "It didn't take nearly this long last time," he muttered.

Teyla turned to him. "Yes, but you did not have the complications we have had here today."

"True," he said with a sigh.

Carson glanced over at Lori who was still holding Casea upright. She said, "Casea's breathing is shallow and her pulse is up over one hundred twenty beats per minute," she said in a low voice.

"Aye, and Colonel Sheppard's arrhythmia is becoming difficult to ignore." Carson looked over at Dr. Kent. "The first injection of lidocaine isn't doing the trick. I'm going to try another dose. You better use a beta blocker on Casea. That will deal with her hypertension and the tachycardia." 

He glanced at Denaz as he spoke, but there was no reaction from him. Kent reached into the crash cart beside him and handed Carson the lidocaine. Kent then pulled out the medication for Casea. Carson emptied the lidocaine into Sheppard's IV line. He licked his lips as he set the used syringe into a nearby Sharps container and watched the monitor. "Come on, Colonel, I'm getting a little tired of your shenanigans. It's time to get well."

Kent finished his injection for Casea and looked at Carson, smiling nervously. "From your lips to God's ears."

"Amen to that, lad. Amen to that."

**oOoOoOoOo**

  
"John, do you feel it? Do you feel the renewed energy flowing?" Casea asked, then paused. 

This was different than before. The energy was flowing into her, rather than to Sheppard. It had to be because of Denaz. And something else. The demand on her own system seemed less now. She paused in thought. It might be possible for her to transfer the new strength flowing into her over to John, but she was also aware the strain on Sheppard's body was reaching a critical level, even as she was weakening. 

"John?" she asked in a rush when he didn't say anything. 

"Yeah," he answered, "I feel something, too – something both good and not so good."

She said, "John, there isn't a lot of time. We can't keep this up forever. You have to cross back with me now."

"Yeah, right, okay. I'll try again," he said, sounding strained.

"Just remember to let your heart guide you home. Don't forget to think and breathe. Remember the city that needs you. Remember to fight. Remember all those things and come back to the living," she said the words, still trying to channel every bit of energy she could to Sheppard.

There was no response. Though she didn't say it, fear whispered in Casea's heart that death's pull might be too strong for John to break away. She prayed her fears were just that, only fears. Then he surprised her.

"What's wrong with you, Casea? It feels like I'm getting stronger and you're getting weaker. Is it because you're trying to help me?"

When she didn't answer right away, he exploded. "Damn it! Don't worry about me! Just save yourself!"

She steeled herself for his response. "No, John, either we go back together or neither one of us makes it back," she said firmly, though she knew she couldn't mask her fear from him.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled. He went silent, but when he spoke next, his anger was gone and determination was in its place. "Since there's a lot of people pulling for the two of us to get back, I guess we better not disappoint them."

Casea sighed with relief. Maybe this was just the added incentive he needed to come back. Either way, it was time to make their final push. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

John felt a distinct change, a strong surge of strength. He looked back at Doarty and Costa in surprise. "What's happening?" he asked, but he had a feeling he knew what the answer would be.

"Life. Life is happening," Elder Doarty said, emotion echoing in his voice, "And death is not."

Costa nodded as Elder Doarty continued, "It appears fate has intervened for you. You are going back to the other side. We will miss your presence. You are a great hero to our people and will be remembered here."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save more of your people... or mine."

"You did what you could do. It was our time to leave, just as it wasn't time for you to join us yet. Rejoice. The great hunter seeks no more prey today. Go back to your life again and embrace it."

"Good luck, sir," Costa said.

Sheppard heard the words, but he didn't answer as he looked back through the brightening void – more specifically toward Casea calling to him. The pain he felt was still there, but it didn't matter anymore. He pulled away from the threshold easily this time and turned toward the light. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

There was a gasp and Denaz straightened. When Carson looked back at him, Casea was opening her eyes. Carson turned toward John. His EKG readings were much better. The abnormal heart beats were diminishing, and then they stopped altogether. The other monitors showed marked improvement as well.

John's lips moved as if he was talking in his sleep. Ronon smiled, looking to Denaz. "He's dreaming."

Denaz smiled, too, though he looked weary, and nodded. "It is a good sign."

On an impulse, Carson peeled back the dressing on Sheppard's arm wound and grinned as he brushed his fingers across perfectly healed skin. He looked further and noticed Sheppard's numerous bruises and contusions were gone. Ronon, Teyla, and McKay stepped forward as they saw Beckett's reaction. 

"Well? Did it work?" McKay asked breathlessly.

"See for yourselves," Carson said, moving away, so that everyone could see for themselves.

"It worked," Teyla whispered as she touched John's arm.

"What about his heart?" Ronon asked, still not relaxing completely yet.

"Everything is moving back into the normal range. It must have been the strain of injury and the healing that brought on the arrhythmia. If we can maintain this level of well being for a couple of days – even a single day – most of the poison should be cleared from his system via other more traditional methods," Carson said with a smile.

Ronon grinned and patted Carson on the back, and then he did the same to Denaz. McKay stood with his mouth wide open. "Son of a bitch, it did work."

Teyla took the colonel's hand in hers and squeezed. Ronon patted him on the leg and McKay just walked around beaming like he'd been the one to solve the problem. Dr. Kent helped Denaz to one of the other beds as Lori and a couple of other nurses moved Casea onto a gurney. 

And Carson just let out a long breath, even though he knew the battle wasn't over. They only had a limited window of opportunity to stabilize Sheppard before the healing would revert. Still, Carson couldn't hold back the swell of relief that followed.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	31. Chapter 31

John glanced up from where he sat on a wide oblong boulder overlooking the village below and noticed Casea sitting beside him for the first time. He straightened from surprise, and then winced from the movement, pressing one hand against his leg wound, the other against his ribs. Just how long she had been sitting there, he didn't know. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said with a chagrined expression. 

"It's okay," John said, forcing his hands to drop away as casually as he could. "I guess my thoughts were wandering."

She eyed him carefully for a moment and said, "You didn't join us in the great hall after you left the remembrance ceremony."

John frowned and nodded. "Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. I needed some time alone to think a few things through. This just seemed like the right place to do it. Besides, after almost getting stuck in the great hall on the other side for all eternity, I'm a little leery of going through those doors again."

"Oh, of course, I should have thought of that." Casea leaned over, putting a hand on his arm as she said, "John, I didn't come here to scold you. I came to see how you were doing."

"Ah, that," he said softly. "Yeah, well, I'm healing. It's just taking a little longer than I had planned."

She tilted her head to one side. "Are you speaking of spiritual healing or the physical healing of your body?"

John glanced at her and pursed his lips together. "A little of both, I guess," he said finally.

Casea patted his arm and then released it. "Go slowly, John. You have been through much. It will take some time for both your body and spirit to come to grips with all that has happened."

John shook his head, and then his gaze dropped. "No, it's not like that, Casea. I've been hurt before. I'll heal."

Her head dipped down to meet his downward gaze. "Have you ever been dead before?"

Her question caused him to exhale quickly before he gave her his best smart ass smile and said, "No, not that I can recall, but I've come close a couple of times."

"Then give yourself time to digest your experiences from all of this."

She went silent and they both watched the activity down below without speaking. 

After a few minutes, Casea said, "Those children down there wouldn't be playing today, if it hadn't been for you and your people. The entire village would be dead if not for your intervention."

John heard the ache in his voice as he said, "There should be a lot more of those kids down there, alive and well."

"John, my people say the great hunter goes looking for souls when their time is over and takes them to a very special place of peace and happiness. It was simply not your time to go yet. You are one of the rare few who's seen the other side, but have returned to walk among the living again. It's a miracle and you should treat it as such."

John didn't say anything as he watched the children playing a little longer. 

Her voice was softer as she added, "Look beyond the children. See the parents watching over their young with love and pride. Husbands with their wives. Brothers and sisters. Generations of families simply enjoying each other. That is what I see when I look down there. I see life where there could have been devastation. If you would change your perspective, you would see that, too." 

John rolled his head as he thought. Finally, he said, "I might concede the whole metaphysical _'not my time to go'_ spiel, but I'm not the great hero your people tried to make me out to be at the remembrance ceremony. In fact, I've failed more times than I'd like to admit, and there have been times where others suffered simply because of my failures."

Casea leaned back. "Yet, you sit here, looking for answers to the questions of your heart, seeking the purpose for being alive."

He sighed and looked away, at a loss for words. 

"Stop thinking so much, John. Let go of what troubles you. You've been given a second chance at life. Relish it."

John grunted, but gave her an appreciative smile. "You sure you're not trying to heal more than just my body?"

Casea drew in a small breath as she thought, then said, "Healers seek to heal the whole person, body and spirit. Sometimes, the heart has the greater need."

John felt his expression go distant. "Maybe. And sometimes you can't just fix things for another person. They have to do it on their own."

"Sometimes," she agreed quietly, then she said, "And sometimes it takes the combined efforts of those around you to help you realize you don't have to work through everything alone."

He sat for a moment, thinking, but didn't say anything. 

She shifted, brushing her fingers through her silver-colored hair, and then glanced up at him. "I'm curious about something and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I was wondering – could you tell me more about what you saw on the other side?"

John took a deep breath and settled against an incline in the boulder. The journey to Jaxndaxta and the remembrance ceremony had exhausted him. Even though Beckett kept reminding him how far he'd come in the two weeks since the Sinomean incident, John wanted more. He wanted his normal life back, as crazy as it was. 

He'd felt so alive when he'd awakened from his coma, ready to get out of bed and help with the repairs to the city, but he knew it wouldn't last even if Beckett had allowed him to get up. As it was, he was hooked up to too much equipment and IVs to do more than just think about roaming around. Even though he knew the healing wouldn't last, it was still disturbing to see and feel the return of his injuries. 

But Carson had a worse time with it than John did, as if it was Carson's fault that the healing reversed itself. By the end of the next day, John was feeling every bit of damage to his body. His memory blurred for the next few days, between the pain medication and his body's need for rest.

Now, it was two weeks later and he was still recovering. He really wanted to go for a good long run, but he couldn't even walk for any length of time, let alone jog, without breaking out into a cold sweat or his wounded leg buckling, and he sorely missed his runs. He could solve just about any problem while he ran. 

Maybe that was the problem. Without a physical way to resolve pent-up emotions and issues, everything was swirling around inside his head, messing up his thinking. 

He glanced over at her and then away again. What could he tell her about the other side? There were the souls of dead people there. He sounded a little like that kid from the movie, the Sixth Sense, and the thought made him shake his head. Finally, he said, "I don't think there's a lot I can put into words." 

He struggled for another moment. He wanted to explain it all to her, he really did, but most of what had happened on the other side was experienced on an emotional level and he'd never been very good at expressing his emotions. He didn't even realize he'd lost track of time again until a hand squeezed his arm and brought him back to awareness. 

He jumped again, though not as much as the first time, and then squeezed his eyes shut with the sudden pain the movement caused. 

When he glanced at Casea, her expression was filled with concern. "You worried me when you didn't answer."

"Damn," he whispered and frowned, as he felt the weariness of his ailments fogging his thoughts. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to zone out on you. Again."

She put her fingers to his temple, wiping at the clamminess there, and then looked over him with an intensity Beckett would have admired. "The day is too chilly to be sweating. You need to lie down and rest. Today has taken much from you," she said quietly. "Perhaps we should have postponed the remembrance ceremony for another week or two."

He gently pulled away from her hand and shook his head. "It wouldn't have changed things much and our peoples need to put this behind them, so they can move forward, myself included."

"You can't move forward when your heart remains grieving in the past," she said. 

His gaze darted around, looking for something neutral he could focus on, but his eyes kept glancing down to the children and the village below them. 

"I'm moving forward, just not as fast as I usually do." 

He paused, and then continued but he changed the subject, returning to their previous discussion again. It seemed like a much safer subject to talk about. "It's frustrating that I can't explain to the others what happened on the other side with any clarity, but it's easier to talk to you, because you know what happened."

His eyes widened as the reality of his words sunk in. "Man, I didn't realize how much easier until now. Maybe that's why I haven't been able to answer anyone's questions with more than a shrug." 

He glanced over at her, feeling very vulnerable. "I still don't get how we were able to talk like we did across the void, or how I could talk to the others, _the dead others_. Geez, that sounds totally insane."

Casea took a deep breath. "Not at all, not when the real story is known, as it is to you and me."

She sighed. "I have also tried to describe what happened between us to Denaz several times and always fail. Maybe what we shared during that time is an experience beyond words, and maybe that's why you can't give me more details of the other side."

He frowned, but nodded. 

"And maybe it will take some time before adequate words will come to both of us. Remember, if the need to talk grows stronger, you always know where to find me." 

She smiled and looked him over again. John knew she was assuming her role as a healer again. "Will you join us in the feast? The feast is actually a combination of dishes usually served at the remembrance ceremony and the harvest festival. To say there is an assortment of good food would be an understatement. It is almost time to eat. You look as though you could use some warm refreshments."

John cringed at the thought of food and it must have been evident to her because she reached into a pocket and pulled out a cloth. When she opened it up, he saw the denobian root. "I thought your stomach might still be recovering from the effects of the poisoning, so I brought you something to help."

He nodded, and took it from her, putting a piece in his mouth, well aware of its benefits. "Thanks. Beckett really needs to look into this stuff."

Casea shook her head. "You are still too pale and weak to suit me. You really should think about lying down. I have extra beds in my cottage."

He shrugged her off. "I'm okay."

She appeared torn whether to press her point further or not. After a moment, she nodded and said, "I have intruded upon your privacy long enough."

"Casea?" he said, looking up at her as she stood.

She turned her head toward him. "Yes?"

"Thanks for everything you did for me and Ronon. You didn't have to do the healing treatments for us, but you did it anyway. If I haven't told you thanks before, I'm saying it now."

She reached out to graze her fingers along his cheek. "It was a small gesture of gratitude for saving our children, but after getting to know you, it became something more. No matter what you say, I was graced by the presence of heroes and that always changes a person for the better."

John just stared at her, not knowing what else to say. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, but don't let them weigh you down too much. And do not linger here much longer, or I'll send your friends to retrieve you." 

He took a deep breath and nodded, then she left.

**oOoOoOoOo**

John thought about Casea's question long after she left. How the hell could he describe what he'd seen on the other side? Even to Casea? She already knew part of the story, so he _might_ be able to fill in the blanks for her, once he found a way to start. But to tell the story to anyone else? 

Ah, hell, any honest answer would land him in Heightmeier's office faster than he could plead fever-induced hallucination. He didn't need that kind of trouble. It was frustrating, though, trying to remember more of what had happened on the other side. It was like trying to catch the lingering wisps of a fading dream. Then again, the parts he did remember were so vivid, right down to the spices he could still taste – 

"Sheppard? Hey, Colonel, look alive!"

McKay's voice broke through John's concentration and he jumped in surprise, for the third damn time that day. He gasped as stiff muscles protested the movement, and then he channeled his pain into pure irritation.

"McKay," John said through gritted teeth, seeing Ronon right behind Rodney while Teyla was already sitting beside him. He growled, "What is _your_ problem?"

"Problem? I don't have a problem other than having people go AWOL at official interplanetary gatherings held in their honor."

John sneered at him. "This wasn't just in my honor. It was for all of us. Besides, I haven't been gone that long."

Teyla touched his arm and said, "John, it is nearly sunset."

John blinked and looked around again, taking in the setting sun and the increasing chill in the air. "Okay, so I guess I kind of lost track of time." He grunted, feeling sheepish. "And, yes, I know I've been doing a lot of that lately, but that's going to change, starting right now."

He picked up his cane and started to stand as he asked, "What did I miss?"

But then he faltered and had to sit back down again rather heavily. He'd been sitting way too long to move with any kind of grace. Beckett had released him to go to the remembrance ceremony, but he was supposed to take it easy and not stay long. Well, at least he'd managed the 'take it easy' part of things. 

"Only everything," McKay replied, his voice attempting sarcasm, but he radiated concern as he met John's gaze. 

Ronon stood slightly behind him with his arms folded in front of him, watching him closely. Along with Teyla, their combined concern was intense and the effect made John feel very uncomfortable. 

"Oh, well, if that's all." He glanced away as he rubbed the back of his neck, then gestured with one hand. "Look, I'm sorry about losing track of time. Let's get back to the village and I'll try to apologize for my rudeness."

Teyla didn't move. "There is no need for that, John. Casea explained to the others that you were indisposed."

John swallowed. "Indisposed? That has a lovely ring to it. Sounds a little like I'm constipated or something equally embarrassing. I think I'll make my own apologies, thank you very much."

Ronon frowned. "I was going to come and get you a while ago, but Casea said to wait, that you needed some time alone. Well, you've had some time alone. Now, it's time to go."

Teyla looked from John to Ronon. "I agree. John has stayed too long. He should get back to the infirmary."

"He's sitting right here, thank you very much. And, no, he's not going to the infirmary," John said firmly, his tone becoming more obstinate. "He's – I'm – going back to my quarters. Beckett said I could stay there if I made daily visits to him, but I need to make my goodbyes to the rest of the villagers first. Come on, let's move out."

He started to get up again when a wave of dizziness swept over him and he settled down back again. "Or we could stay here a little longer," he said with a sigh as he swiped at the sudden return of sweat on his brow with a shaky hand. 

Ronon cleared his throat as he casually moved closer and John was sure it was to catch him should he keel over. "Just take your time," the Satedan said softly.

John slammed a fist down beside him, hitting the boulder he sat upon, cursing when his hand throbbed in response. "Take my time? All I've been doing for the last two weeks is wasting time! Enough of this already." 

But he still didn't make a move to stand. He was pretty sure he'd fall flat on his ass if he got up without assistance. Then the three of them would have been proved right. No way he was going to let that happen.

"Well, it was pretty rude of you to snub the villagers," Rodney said dramatically, but John got the feeling he was just stalling to give John a little more time to recover. He continued with a bored air, "They postpone this whole remembrance of the dead ceremony for a couple of weeks just so you could attend and you disappear before they start serving the feast, which by the way was incredible."

Weakness was replaced by irritation as John said, "Don't lay that on me. You knew exactly where I was. I just lost track of time."

McKay started to argue the point when Teyla, always the diplomat, stepped between them and said, "Do not listen to him, John. There was no ill will at your absence, only concern."

Rodney rolled his eyes, and then they lit up as a new thought hit him. "Yeah, but you missed out on some newsflashes."

"Newsflashes?" John asked.

"The villagers were so grateful to us for saving their lives, they've offered to supply Atlantis with a free portion of their harvests every year from here on out."

John glanced over at him and said, "Oh yeah? That's cool." 

Teyla smiled. "The people of Jaxndaxta have just become richer. They sold that shipment of Benji crystals in the hold of Conteale's ship and are going to use the money to restore their mountainside back to its original beauty."

McKay added, "Plus our scientists are helping the Jaxndaxtans out in that regard as well."

"It's about time some good came out of all that trouble."

Ronon nodded and said, "And the Sinomeans we captured are facing life imprisonment at a penal colony for their crimes."

McKay's expression was wistful as he said, "Yeah, I guess it all turned out for the best, though when I think about what I could have done with that control interface device."

"It's gone, McKay. Get over it already," Ronon said patiently in a low, quiet tone, as if he had already said the words a hundred times before.

Rodney sighed. "Damn it, it's not that easy. The device was so adaptable, able to work on a multitude of equipment and systems – "

John glared at him. "Do we have to go into the whole matter of the control interface device rendering Atlantis vulnerable to takeover by hostile forces if they ever gained control of said device again?

"No, but I wish I could have studied it a little more before Ronon let the invisible energy Yeti blow it to smithereens."

Ronon rolled his eyes and said, "McKay."

John knew how much science and new technology meant to McKay and he almost felt sorry for the man. Almost. Then he saw a few of the children and adults arrive at the remembrance memorial higher up on the hillside and place some flowers on it. Suddenly, John realized how painful true regret could be.   
  
McKay glanced at the memorial and back to John. "Oh come on, just stop it with the kicked puppy dog look. These people are alive because we didn't give up. You didn't. Ronon didn't. And I didn't – well, I didn't most of the time. There could have been a lot more people dead if Teyla, Weir, Zelenka, and Lorne had given up. The same for McMurphy, Stackhouse, and the rest of his team. That's something I've learned since I got to Atlantis. We don't give up, plain and simple. Now, let's get back to the village, so you can get something to eat. While you're doing that, I plan on attacking their assortment of desserts."

John scratched at his neck. "Sorry if I'm getting between you and your food."

McKay sighed, ignoring the mocking tone of John's words. "It's okay, I'll make it, though I am famished again. Their food kind of reminds me of Chinese. Fifteen minutes later, you're hungry again. Besides, the compassionate buddy speech thing always burns way too many calories for me and makes my blood sugar plummet."

John made a face, then shrugged. "Well, you're getting better at it – the compassionate buddy speech thing, I mean. That one barely irritated me." 

There was only a little sarcasm in his voice and McKay didn't bother to interrupt him with some snarky comeback line. At least, they didn't act like overgrown twelve year olds all the time. He glanced at his friends surrounding him. "And thanks. To all of you. Come on, help me up, so we can get out of here."

"Oh goodie, I'm sure Elizabeth, Stackhouse and McMurphy, along with the rest of the people from Atlantis will be overjoyed to see you. Mental note to self, do not depend upon Sheppard for diplomatic relations." 

"I am so not listening to you," John muttered as Ronon and Teyla helped him stand, then he paused there a moment, grinding his teeth until the pain in his leg subsided and the landscape around him stopped spinning. He steadied himself with his cane, then let an evil glint come into his eyes. 

"By the way, McKay, I heard you were reading to me from one of Katie Brown's romance novels while I was out of it, but you never finished it. I'm disappointed."

"Yeah, right, like you remember me doing any of that."

John winked at Ronon. "I heard all about it from Ronon. You left the book beside my bed while I was still in the infirmary. Ronon read it cover to cover and thought it made for some interesting reading."

"As if Conan reads. You know, I was looking for the damned thing to give back to Katie and couldn't find – oh, for God's sake, you aren't serious, are you?"

Ronon nodded. Teyla leaned forward. "I started it this morning. It's – different – than anything I've ever read before, though I don't understand why Lady Jillian allowed herself to be bullied like she did, at least in the beginning."

McKay rolled his eyes as he threw his hands into the air. "You guys are doing all of this just to press my buttons, aren't you?"

"Well, that's the whole point, isn't it? Getting deep under your skin. By the way, I get the book after Teyla's done with it," John said proudly.

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Rodney said, wiping a hand over his face in defeat.

Ronon shrugged. "You know, I was surprised. It wasn't half bad. I did want to blast a few holes in that Duke Maximus character. The only reason he was after Jillian was for her inheritance. Then Jillian found out he was really her evil second cousin on her mother's side." 

Teyla nodded. "I am hoping Matthew Coggins will cause her to see true love always wins out – "

John grinned and interrupted, "Due to his manly ways, of course."

Ronon grinned and stood with his hands on his hips. "Of course. And then there was the sex."

"Oh, good god," McKay muttered, but stopped and he looked to Ronon. "Wait, Duke Maximus was her second cousin? Oh, that can't be good... "

Ronon grunted. "It wasn't. That arrogant bastard thought he could dominate her life in every way. He was in for a rude awakening."

McKay looked at those standing around him strangely. "I never would have guessed in a million years that we'd be standing around having a conversation about the merits of a romance novel."

John gave McKay a crooked grin. "Life is strange at times, isn't it?"

Ronon waved his hands as if to usher them along. "If we're going, let's go. Sheppard shouldn't be just standing around like this."

McKay leaned closer to John. "I think our literary discussion has made Tarzan, Earl of Greystoke, a little bored."

Ronon took a deep breath. "No, but I could make things real exciting by holding you upside down by your feet. You'd be wishing for bored."

"Says you," McKay said defiantly.

John groaned. "Once again, I have to say so much for being really smart, McKay," he said with a sigh. "You think you'd learn by now. Have you ever seen a conversation with an irritated Ronon end well for you?"

McKay frowned as he blinked a couple of times. "No, I guess not, but there's always a first time."

Teyla stood and placed herself in the middle of the three men. "I think we are all agreed it is time to move forward. Let us go and finish our visit with the villagers and home, so John can rest. I suggest a movie marathon in John's quarters later, complete with popcorn and beer."

She put a hand on John's back to help steady him on the uneven soil as he started walking, leaning heavily upon his cane.

"Or we could just talk," McKay started.

John gave McKay a sideways glance and slowed down. For some reason, Rodney's tone put him on alert. A moment later, he found out why. 

"I mean, I'd be more than happy to be a sounding board for anyone who needs to vent or share some deep dark secret. For instance, Colonel, what was it like to be dead three times? Did you go to heaven or hell? Come on, spill, inquiring minds want to know."

John sighed and closed his eyes. McKay had no idea how close he came to hitting a raw nerve. John started forward as he said quietly, but with force, "Rodney. Shut. Up."

McKay was oblivious, rattling on in classic McKay fashion. "What? You mean you aren't going to tell us a single thing about being dead? That's not fair. That's not fair at all. You know all about what happened when I died and re-ascended."

Teyla shook her head. "We know only what we saw with our own eyes. You could not remember anything about it."

"Well, he should still tell us about his experiences. Isn't that what teams do to bond? Share experiences that form the foundation of a life-long friendship?"

John groaned. "Give me strength," he muttered, his anger dissipating when he realized Rodney's natural inclination to talk came as easily as drawing air to breath.

McKay continued, "What? Aren't these the days we'll look back at with fond memories?"

Teyla put her hand on John's back again and urged him forward. "Simply, ignore him, John. Tonight, our team will relax and enjoy one another's company." 

Ronon patted McKay on the back hard enough to make him cough. "And, if McKay can't keep his mouth shut, he'll find himself locked in John's bathroom for the night."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" he grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Yeah, for me," John said, adding his two cents worth, "I might need to use the facilities, you know. Lock him up somewhere else."

"Hey, hey, hey, I can take a hint." McKay put up his hand in defeat, then he used it to make a dramatic display of zipping his lips closed.

"Let us hope so." Teyla chuckled as McKay and Ronon moved slowly behind them. 

John glanced back, feeling like he was holding them back, and said, "You guys can go on ahead and I'll catch up to you."

"No rush," McKay said with a wave of a hand. He started telling Ronon a story, something to do with food, but in a quieter tone. 

John gave Teyla a genuine smile as he limped along. Maybe all his soul searching needed was just some good friends around to remind him about the things in life he appreciated the most. The other stuff would get worked out along the way. 

There was a ripple of laughter that seemed to usher them down the hillside, moving from one comment to the next, from one team member to the next. It acted like a healing balm for John's soul. The great hunter needed no more prey for this day and John was glad. 

**oOoOoOoOo**

**The End**


End file.
